Sneakers and Books

Are You Entertained?

2011-12-29T09:36:00.004-05:00

THIS WEEKEND I attended three sermons by a thoughtful and passionate speaker. It seems plain that this person is a participant in life, not merely an observer and that, at an early age, he asked God (and himself) hard questions, “What is the purpose of my life?” An engineer by training, he must have wondered, “This is nice, but is this all there is for me to do?”

This thought “clicked” this morning when I was watching the news and saw previews for some interesting movies. I thought “That would be interesting to see” and “That one would be quite engaging.” It hit me. Is this all I want out of life? To merely wander around, observing from the sidelines, analyzing and critiquing the contributions of others? What is my contribution? Has God given me more to do with my life, my talents and my time than to be entertained, to have my mind tickled?

Of course, we need to be keen observers of culture, but we also need to be makers of it. We need to contribute something. We are all participants in the work of others, in certain contexts. When a university professor delivers a lecture, the team quarterback is one of many in the room. But when the quarterback takes the field, the professor may be a spectator. When the priest delivers the sermon, he is doing his work, making his contribution. When he gathers with the youth group for a Superbowl party, he is one of millions of observers.

Still, the question remains for each of us: What is my contribution? I think many married couples fight because one (or both) never asks this question. If my mind is consumed with this question, I do not ruminate over what the other is failing to do for me.

The hour a person sits watching Snookie pump her fists, Kris Jenner express her feelings on Kim’s life, and/or the bickering of New Jersey housewives, could it not be spent reading something of benefit, planning a useful project, running a few miles, or in the depth of prayer?

Integration and Domination

2011-12-08T09:47:00.010-05:00

A RABBI once wrote to Albert Einstein, asking for advice. He had lost a daughter and wanted his thoughts on helping his other daughter cope. Einstein wrote,

A human being is a part of the whole, called by us “Universe,” a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.

Every Christmas season, I encounter calls to "defend" Christmas. When I was really young, it certainly did not bother me. Every year it seems to bother me more and more. A friend of mine said, "As a Jew, I'd much prefer my Christian friends celebrate nonoverlycommercial versions of the holidays." His main point, it seemed to me, was "What a shame. Religion is worthy of much more than what commercialism does to it." But I also wonder whether as a father of three, he was bothered by the tacit exclusionary message society was sending his family.

Moreover, the person who loves Christ would want others to embrace Christianity on its merits. The concern of the Bible is for the "inner person" (Eph. 3:16). A desire to dominate the public discussion and exclude others -- "Us versus them" -- has always been the hallmark of fear. Fear of what? Losing my faith? It honors neither Christ nor honest debate to silence others and exclude their viewpoints before they are even expressed.

Every holiday season, there seems to be a "threat to Christmas" story on Fox News (Sorry, but they are the worst.) highlighted to solicit my outrage. The only outrage is the implication that Christianity is wholly unable to withstand a reasonable discussion. This does not seem to be in the spirit of St. Peter's words: "Always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in you; with meekness and fear." (1 Peter 3:15). A person with hope and reasons and who loves his sister wants to know what is really in her heart.

To treat fellow humans, their experiences, and their sincerely-held beliefs as a threat does not jive with the words of St. Isaac (which relate to Einstein's):

What is a merciful heart? It is a heart on fire for the whole of creation, for humanity, for the birds, for the animals, for demons, and for all that exists. By the recollection of them the eyes of a merciful person pour forth tears in abundance. By the strong and vehement mercy that grips such a person’s heart, and by such great compassion, the heart is humbled and one cannot bear to hear or to see any injury or slight sorrow in any in creation. For this reason, such a person offers up tearful prayer continually even for irrational beasts, for the enemies of the truth, and for those who harm her or him, that they be protected and receive mercy. And in like manner such a person prays for the family of reptiles because of the great compassion that burns without measure in a heart that is in the likeness of God.

The Half at Philadelphia

2011-11-23T11:19:00.010-05:00

The night before was nearly as memorable as the day of. The plan was to responsibly take in a movie and be in bed by 8 or 9; in other words 2-3 hours earlier than normal.

Restlessness was exacerbated by what sounded like *quite* a party in the lobby. Totally unable to sleep from the jitters, inexplicable hunger, and periodic howling (in the strictest definition; actual howling) coming from the lobby, I did what any normal super-tweaker would do: I pulled on my jeans and shoes (no socks) and headed down to the gift shop for pretzels and water. I sat there, scarfing, first two pretzels at once, then six or seven, listening to Like a Virgin booming from the nearby bar. "OMG, I'm in the land of the world's loudest, most inconsiderate people in America: Philadelphia. Screwed. Got back to bed, only to be awoken an hour later by a piercing ring (Maybe I'm dead? I hope so.) and a voice "Evacuate the building. There is an emergency in the building. Do not use the elevator. You must evacuate the building." Some kid had pulled the fire alarm.

Got up around 4 and went out for a light jog. This is my day. I once passed a really tough exam on 2 hours sleep. Been there. Came back and heated up two packets of oatmeal. No spoon, so I used the coffee cup lid. Lots of it ended up on my face. This is my day.

The way they organized the corrals was weird. Half and full marathon peeps are all together, which was fine. But, right behind elite and sub-elite are “up to 3:10" and “up to 1:35.” Hmm? Anyways, by the time I got to the start from the portajohn line, it was like 5 minutes to the gun (of course). The only way to get into my corral was to jump over a chest-high metal barricade. Up and over and who do I find? Bryan McDonnell, who lives one town over and regularly wins local races. I was flattered that he recognized me. He told Mike he was going for two 1:24's. Yeah, see you back in Jersey. They started playing Lose Yourself and, embarrassed to say, I lost myself a little. But, some dude behind me was tearing. Come on, man; I hope it was from something other than Eminem.

Go! I was through the first half mile in like 3:15. The sub-3 pacer was cruising along, chatting with the guy next to him, and holding up his balloon stick like it was nothing. I was mesmerized by that for a bit. Forcing myself down, I came through mile 1 in 7:13.

Around mile 4-5ish, I noticed I had been running most of the way with one runner, Amanda, and asked her what she was going for.
“1:30.”
“Me, too.”
“Good.”

Running with Amanda was the best part of the race. Even though we exchanged surges, I wasn't trying to beat her and I could tell she wasn’t trying to beat me. At some point, she came up with another woman: “I found another one.” Ha.

Through 10k in 43:01.

At this point, we hit the hills. I hadn’t looked at a course elevation profile or anything before the race, so these took me by surprise. At some point I lost Amanda, and the other women lost me.

I pulled up to the to 10-mile clock and saw 1:09: 50, 51. Good *grief,* not again. Not again. At this point I started negotiating with my legs. “No more races this year. This is it. This is it. Come on.” I knew I had to run in the low 6's for the rest of the race. Plowing, plowing, plowing. “Full marathoners to the left, half to the right!” At this point, there was only one half marathoner in front of me. As I passed him, he grunted, “Yeah, finish strong.” Seeing no one else and completely delirious, I sincerely thought, for about a mile, “Am I winning? Am I going to win? Omg. I’m winning the half at Philly...No.” Later, others would comment that the course finished along “the river.” I did not know that at the time, since I was in a tunnel. The clock came into view: 1:59:40, 41. Oh no, not again. Not again. Dig, dig - Why is the guy in front of me stopping to jump and touch the clock? - 1:29:57, 58. In! Right? I later found out that my gun time was 1:29:59. Good grief is right.

A House Divided

2011-10-30T14:05:00.002-04:00

FROM TODAY'S Gospel reading:

Jesus...said to them: "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand..."

Years later, these timeless words echoed in the mind of the American president Abraham Lincoln, as he prepared his famous “House Divided” speech just before the outbreak of the Civil War. The house, the United States of America, has remained (essentially) undivided today. But not without a bloody, horrific war.

In the speech, Lincoln said, "I believe this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved -- I do not expect the house to fall -- but I do expect it will cease to be divided."(*)

Was the war worth it? Was it worth the struggle? As the United States is still one nation -- and a vibrant one in many respects -- we might confidently now say that the war was worth it.

Remember his words though, that the nation “could not endure, permanently half slave and half free.” In the same way, you and I cannot remain half free and half slave. We cannot "endure" in such a state, half dead, half alive. We cannot continue. We must make a choice: free or slave?

If I choose to wage the battle against the half-slave part of me, it will be hard. It may be a horrific civil war.

But, like the American civil war, it will be worth it.

Look at the confidence of Abe Lincoln, “I do expect it will cease to be divided.” Let us have this confidence in the grace of the Holy Spirit. I will cease to be divided. This is what faith is all about.

Do Your Work

One of the places we find ourselves divided is work. We are trying to work, but find ourselves wandering onto websites like Facebook or playing with our smart(er-than-us) phones, which have now become elaborate toys.

Consider the following passage from the life of St. Antony:

When the holy Abba Antony lived in the desert he was attacked by many sinful thoughts. He said to God, "Lord, I want to be saved but these thoughts do not leave me alone; what shall I do in my affliction? How can I be saved?" A short while afterwards, when he got up to go out, Antony saw a man like himself sitting at his work, getting up from his work to pray, then sitting down and plaiting a rope, then getting up again to pray. It was an angel of the Lord sent to correct and reassure him. He heard the angel saying to him, "Do this and you will be saved." At these words, Antony was filled with joy and courage. He did this, and he was saved.

Our work has been given to us as a big help in our salvation. When it is the time of work, we should take advantage of this blessing and, frankly, work.

Unexpected Reactions

Has your "natural" reaction ever surprised you? This may be a sign of tension between two ways, of a "house divided."

Saint Kosmas writes, "Every affliction tests our will, showing whether it is inclined to good or evil. This is why an unforeseen affliction is called a test, because it enables a man to test his hidden desires."

If you’ve ever acted with a short temper, with an arrogance that you didn’t think you had, you know what the saint means. It’s a sign that there is a tension within you, that your “house is divided.” The true tension jumped out and exposed itself. You weren’t prepared to hide it or stifle it.

Fake 'Til You Break

Theophan the Recluse says that the foremost characteristic of a deluded person is he "assuredly considers himself to be something he is not: for example, called to teach others, capable of an extraordinary life, and so on. Our pride is always lurking in the back ground waiting to be satisfied."

To consider myself, “capable of an extraordinary life,” means that I have some kind of superhuman nature, that the spiritual laws don’t apply to me, that I can endure as a "house divided":

I can be a spiritual person without fasting or submitting my body to any discipline.
I can look at endless obscene images and videos and my brain will remain normal.
I can associate with pessimistic people all the time and I will not become depressed.
I can associate with corrupt people and I will not be corrupt.

We all tell ourselves these lies, to some degree. And so we stand divided between wanting the victorious life with God and the weight of all this stuff. We cannot endure like this, pulled upward and downward, half-slave, half free.

_______
(*)House Divided Speech, June 16, 1858

The Fruits of Repentance

2011-10-15T17:21:00.006-04:00

ONE WORD I REMEMBER from SAT prep is "fruitless," as in a "fruitless effort," which is an attempt which produces no results.

When it comes to repentance -- turning to God -- there are objective signs or "fruits" which reflect the truth regarding whether I have repented or not.

So, really, what does repentance give me anyway? Is it worth it?

Whether we think it consciously or not, we ask ourselves this question before each and every action we take or every thought we entertain. Our little decisions determine our whole life. Rarely does someone beat his chest and say, "I renounce God and God’s way!" especially churchy types. Rather, we slowly -- decision by little decision -- decide that turning to God is not worth it.

St. Gregory Palamas, lists some of the fruits which reflect the little decisions made by the true penitent:

...Repentance which is true and truly from the heart persuades the penitent not to sin any more, not to mix with corrupt people, and not to gape in curiosity at evil pleasures, but to despise things present, cling to things to come, struggle against passions, seek after virtues, be self-controlled in every respect, keep vigil with prayers to God, and shun dishonest gain. It convinces him to be merciful to those who wrong him, gracious to those who ask something of him, ready with all his heart to bend down and help in any way he can, whether by words, actions or money, all who seek his assistance, that through kindness to his fellow-man he might gain God's love in return for loving his neighbor, draw the Divine favor to himself, and attain to eternal mercy and God's everlasting blessing and grace.(*)

____________
*Homily on the Feast of SS. Peter and Paul

Racing and Selective Attention

2011-09-26T09:52:00.006-04:00

This year's Ramsey 10k was best race of my life, so far, and not just because of the time on the clock.

I lined up near, but not at, the front. By the end of the first mile, two packs had emerged; top 12(?) and then maybe 4 of us in the next pack. I found myself in the front, with the leaders way ahead of us.

After about the second mile marker a guy jumped in front of me. He lead for a bit, then at about mile 4 1/2, he started to flake. I was thinking he'd race with me, but, as I found out later, his tendonitis got him (big bummer).

A little into the last mile, I passed a kid in a T-shirt. There's something about the competitive cotton-clad that I respect.

About 1k to go and I was *right* up on Hector of Clifton RR. I was giving everything I thought I had, and figured if this guy doesn't relent I'm just not going to beat him. Then, he looked back at me and I found something that surprised me and took off. 7:22 over the last 2k.

When I saw the time on the clock, I was very surprised. I was so consumed with the race, that I had forgotten what my time goal was. It was one of those races where I had to force my eyes open to find the finish mat.

I was so happy. I thank God for such an experience.

On a related noted, Jeff at the Logic of Long Distance blog has posted some very good thoughts on Toughness as an Act of Imagination. He writes,

The attention is the greatest tool of the human mind because it allows us to select from the world the stimuli to which we would like to respond. Intelligence, it seems to me, is a matter of selection; more about tuning things out than opening the mind. The great geniuses of history created a world that made some sense through acts of attention--selecting a single problem so that progress could be made, setting up the world as intelligible when apprehended along very particular lines. Great thinkers help us frame our vision--by telling us what to see or how to see, they also tell us what not to see.

Long Run

2011-09-05T12:19:00.004-04:00

WHEN I POUR out my mind, I wish You would find pure adoration and gratitude, like it is with the Saints. But out comes anxiety over what might be, bitterness over what wasn't, lust for what shouldn't be, and arrogance for what isn't mine to boast. The sound and the fury of an idiot in a contrived drama on a made-up stage. And little flecks of hope, trust, and love.

And, adoration and gratitude.

Book Review: The Orthodox Study Bible

2011-08-15T22:09:00.009-04:00

ONE OF THE FIRST things a reader will notice about the Orthodox Study Bible ("OSB"), relative to its previous incarnation, is that it includes the Hebrew Scriptures. The text is accompanied by ample, but not over-abundant notes. The notes are helpful in supporting and shedding some light on a particular chapter or passage, without bogging the reader down. This makes the Orthodox Study Bible an ideal text for daily reading. For an in-depth study of a particular book or theme, the reader should supplement the footnotes with other references.

The OSB begins with an "Overview of the Books of the Bible." This like the OSB itself, is helpful as an overview and creates a context for encountering the text. It is not intended to be an exhaustive study of any one book or theme. It is followed by another short essay, "Introducing the Church."

Each book is introduced with a brief summary, and articles on spiritual and doctrinal themes are scattered throughout the text.

In order to accommodate the Hebrew Scripture text and notes, the NT notes have been abbreviated some.

The footnotes include patristic references, but these in no way predominate and are not all direct quotations.

Three Weapons

2011-08-07T18:11:00.009-04:00

AS WE GROW UP the obstacles to spiritual fullness seem to move away from the guy/girl stuff to the greed/fear stuff. We start to lose ourselves in careerism and tidy professionalism, as we tumble down the lukewarmness staircase. People do us wrong, we do people wrong. We die a little each day. We go flat.

I don't want it to be that way for me, and I don't think it has to be.

Zeal for Faith
Saint John Chrysostom, in a eulogy for one saint, writes "saints' memorials are not urns or coffins or columns or inscriptions, but good works and a zeal for faith and a healthy conscience towards God."(1)

Zeal for faith. The word "zeal" should excite me. If it makes me uncomfortable, I might ask why.

If and Only If
St. Mark the Ascetic, wrote of the three things that kill that zeal, that knock us out cold. He begins,

"If you wish, my son, to acquire and possess within yourself your own lamp of mental light and spiritual knowledge, that you may walk without stumbling in the deepest night of this age and have your steps ordered by the Lord ...you must greatly desire the path of the Gospels, that is, to practice the most perfect Gospel commandments with ardent faith and become a participant in the passion of Christ through desire and prayer; then I will show you a wonderful method to achieve this...

He starts with "if." Anything worth anything in life --to succeed in a service project, to run a sub-3 hour marathon, to build a good relationship with our family -- starts with a clear and unequivocal "yes" to "Do you want this, for real?"

How much more is this the case when it's about the big things, like union with Christ and being with God in spiritual light and freedom?

Three Causes
He continues, focusing now on the three things that zap us:

I speak of the three strong and powerful alien giants, on whom are founded all the hostile forces of the mental [intruders]. If they are cast down and slain, all the forces of the evil spirits will be finally defeated. These three giants of the evil one, who seem to be strong, are "ignorance," mother of all ills, "forgetfulness," her sister, aider and abettor, and "laziness" (indifference) which out of darkness weaves a dusky garment and cloak in the soul. This latter strengthens and affirms the former two, gives them substance and makes evil take firm root in a negligent soul and become an essential part of it.

Ignorance
When I know nothing of God, nor care to inform myself, I have little hope of finding the spark of life. God's word and those of his saints -- today more than ever -- are widely available.

Forgetfulness
There are two sides to forgetting. I forget what it is like to live a life of joy and conformity with God’s way. At the same time, I forget the sting, anxiety, and brokenness that sin brought me. That old, crooked relationship? That feeling after I stabbed someone in the back? Long-ago. Poof.

Laziness
Laziness is serves the other two, for obvious reasons.

Three Weapons
So, what do we do? He continues,

If you wish to gain victory over passions and easily put to flight the hordes of mental aliens, collect yourself inwardly with God's help by prayer and, descending into the depths of your heart, find there those three strong giants of the devil -- I mean forgetfulness, indifference or laziness, and ignorance, the food on which all other passions feed and act, live and grow strong in self-indulgent hearts.

He calls us to go into our hearts. This requires time away from those little flecks of distraction: the phone, the texts, the Facebook feeds, the latest with the Kardashians and similar "news."

Our weapons are memory, knowledge and a lively, zeal:

With strict attention to yourself and a sober mind, and with help from above, you will certainly find these evil passions...you will find them by the weapons of righteousness which are their contrary. These weapons are memory of the good, the source of all blessings, enlightened knowledge, by which a soul kept in sobriety chases away the darkness of ignorance, and a lively zeal, which rouses the soul and leads it to salvation.

Memory. When my memory is full of good and beautiful things, there's no room for corrosive junk.

Knowledge. When my mind is weak, so is my will. It's a recurring theme for many of us, I imagine.

Lively Zeal. When's there's a fire within me, movement and good living follow.
____________
(1)On Saint Eustathius par. 3
(2)E. Kadloubovsky and G. E. H. Palmer, trans., Early Fathers from the Philokalia (London: Faber & Faber, 1981), pp. 60 - 62.

Reading List

2011-07-21T09:51:00.009-04:00

Fr. Athanasius Farag, ThD, Dean the Coptic Orthodox Seminary, has kindly provided the following list of recommended titles:

From Darkness to Light

The Bible and Liturgy

The Eucharist

Liturgy and Life

For the Life of the World

The Sayings of the Desert Fathers

The Life of Anthony

Confessions of Augustine

Fifty Homilies of Saint Macarius

On the Mother of God

St. Macarius the Spirit Bearer

Praying with the Desert Mothers

Harlots of the Desert

Prayer, Action, Advocacy

2011-07-14T11:19:00.004-04:00

There is something for everyone in the life of Saint Shenoute the Archmandrite, whose feast day is today.

There contemplative types and active types. Saint Shenoute teaches us that praying and doing are integrated in authentic Christian life.

Shenoute was always a man of prayer. He was recognized as a spiritual prodigy by his uncle, Saint Pigol, as early as age 8. Giving his lunch to a shepherd, he'd spend the day in fasting and prayer.

As an adult was archmandrite (leader) of the White Monastery near present-day Sohag. Under his leadership the monastery went from 30 aging monks to a vital community of 2,200. He also founded a women’s monastery, which grew to 1,800 nuns. I can hardly get 30 people to a youth meeting, even armed with the Verizon Network ("CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?")

Effective leadership begins with inner depth.

Beyond the walls of his heart and his monastery, he was an active humanitarian. He often came to the aid of poor Egyptian peasants. As their advocate, He often left the monastery to chastise those who were oppressing them. He once risked his life obtain freedom for captives from the hands of Blemmyes warriors. He even appealed on behalf of the peasants to Byzantine Emperor Theodosius I.

In every way he was a man of prayer, action, and advocacy.
_______
Ref: Besa, Life of Shenoute, trans. D.H. Bell (Cistercian Publications, 1983)

Going Out

2011-07-12T09:31:00.009-04:00

THE APOSTLES went out of themselves.

As my daughter enters her fourth month, it's clear that she's absolutely "got me." A blessing, without question. But it also presents an interesting issue. The deeper I love her, the more I’m tempted to love her to the exclusion of others. Is it necessary? On one level, yes. I very much want and must forge a bond with her. But, that’s not hard: I love her so much. Heck, I can hardly leave for work in the morning.

Is love quantifiable, though? Do we not live in the Spirit, who gives without measure?

God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life(1).

If we trust the grace of God, we can love our spouses, our children, our families, our coworkers, our neighbors, our enemies and our frenemies.

St. Isaac of Syria writes,

What is a merciful heart? It is a heart on fire for the whole of creation, for humanity, for the birds, for the animals, for demons, and for all that exists. By the recollection of them the eyes of a merciful person pour forth tears in abundance. By the strong and vehement mercy that grips such a person’s heart, and by such great compassion, the heart is humbled and one cannot bear to hear or to see any injury or slight sorrow in any in creation. For this reason, such a person offers up tearful prayer continually even for irrational beasts, for the enemies of the truth, and for those who harm her or him, that they be protected and receive mercy. And in like manner such a person prays for the family of reptiles because of the great compassion that burns without measure in a heart that is in the likeness of God(2).

Like the holy apostles, who no doubt had families which they loved very much (1 Cor. 9:5), we can trust that the Spirit and grace of God is boundless.

We can "go out" from the safe cycle of wake-work-home-sleep-wake, burning with that love for all creation.
____
(1) John 3
(2) St. Isaac of Syria, Ascetical Homilies, Homily 71

Book Review: Outliers

2011-06-11T00:19:00.004-04:00

Outliers concerns people who fall outside the normal bell curve of achievement and performance.

Author Malcolm Gladwell challenges our American notion that achievement is largely a factor of ambition and intelligence. While he makes much of the importance of hard work, he shows that it’s wrong-headed to look at individuals and ascribe their success to their industry and determination alone. He emphasizes, through several interesting anecdotes taken from various fields (e.g., hockey, computer science, and law), that success is largely dependent upon time, place and ancestry.

There’s nothing new in the idea that many successful people had been born with a "step-up." But the book provides interesting examples of how even seeming disadvantages (i.e., being Jewish in the early 20th Century) can work in a person’s favor.

Thankfully, the book is much more of a social study than a personal-improvement manual. There are take-aways for the individual, though. Looking frankly at your family history, what trends should you change or avoid? What situational or psychological “advantages” have you been born with?

One might ask, where in time and space has God put me? What clue might this be for my life’s focus? Also, what right do I have, really, to look down on anyone for what he or she has or hasn’t done? Indeed, as alluded to in the book, “For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.” (Luke 12:35-48)

A Rocket Ship to Mars

2011-06-02T16:10:00.009-04:00

It sounds silly to even talk about, doesn't it? You might as well say you're building a rocket ship to go to Mars but it won't be ready for a few years."

And when it is, it may not fly.

-Once a Runner

SOMETHING'S HAPPENING.

I've raced about five times in the last 30 days, all slower than my personal bests (save the two-minute shave I gave to my half-marathon PR). My last 10k: 20 seconds slower than last Fall.

But I feel lighter and faster.

Are you still reading?

It seems that with running, counseling, lawyering, selling, writing, cooking, boxing, vinyl-sidering, doctoring - any endeavor really, even prayer - it's mostly about sticking with it, logging the minutes, hours, days, months, years.

Consider Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000 Hour Rule. Punch in, punch out.You live like a clock.

The monks who know the Psalmody by heart, do you think they sat down and tried to memorize them? I doubt it. I bet nights in prayer turned into decades, a rhythm, a way of life. H.H. Anba Shenouda talks of prayer as a language. Speak more and it becomes more natural and comfortable, over time.

Keep moving forward, relentlessly.

St. Clement of Alexandria on the Value of Wealth

2011-05-23T19:05:00.002-04:00

John Armstrong of The Acton Institute has posted a nice summary of St. Clement's teaching on wealth.

Inward, Backward, Onward

2011-05-11T14:54:00.000-04:00

Inward, Backward
I was thinking this morning. When I was a teenager, I played a ton of basketball. Aside from one year on a team, all my "training" entailed a) shooting/goofing around and b) pickup games after school and on the weekends. The games were all-out. We knew nothing was for grabs, except pride. No practices ("You talk 'bout practice?"), no formal drills.

And, when the Knicks were in the playoffs, it was so much fun. After most games, I'd impulsively go out onto the driveway and shoot and shoot and shoot, with some layups or whatever tossed in; like I'd been possessed by John Starks himself.

Onward
As a runner, when I see an exciting professional or collegiate road or track race, I get the same kinds of impulses. And when the "pickup" games come on the weekends, I want to race all-out.

So, the idea is, once a week, like around Tuesday or Wednesday, to run a hilly course. If my kid wakes me up early enough, I get out to a trail. If not, then a road course. Whatever it is, I try to make the whole run an honest, hard effort. That's it. The only display on my watch is minutes and seconds; that way I know how long 'til I have to get back and shower for work.

I want to race more so that, when I'd advised to train "at 5k effort" or "at 10k effort," I have a sense of what that is. I want my body to learn what that means. It will help give training plans and advice more context for me. Plus, I think racing much more will be fun! I want to race all kinds of distances and terrains.

I also want to see which race distances from 5k-marathon are the most enjoyable to me. I don't have a sense of that yet. Who knows maybe the variety itself will be what's enjoyable.

And, with a renewed simplicity, I hope running will become more integrated and more adaptive to my life with and in Christ.

Hills, repentance, love, and the exuberance of youth. All good things.

I want to race by feel and live by feel. I think we would all do well to live by feel, in the present. Lawyers and other professionals bill by the hour and so always feel the clock ticking and judging them with each second. I did what? It took me how long? Shall I cut my time? But them how many billable hours did I rack up today? That's it? Can I comfortably go home to my family now? Maybe I'll make them up later in the month. Maybe.

Are we better workers or better runners when we live under the clock? Won't the clock run no matter what? One of my favorite authors, Anthony Bloom, writes,

There is absolutely no need to run after time to catch it. It does not run away from us, it runs toward us. Whether you are intent on the next minute coming your way, or whether you are completely unaware of it, it will come your way. The future, whatever you do about it, will become the present, and so there is no need to try to jump out of the present into the future. We can simply wait for it to be there, and in that respect we can perfectly well be completely stable and yet move in time, because it is time that moves(*).

Constant clock-checking robs us of the joys of racing, running, eating, sleeping, praying, playing, and fatherhooding.
_______
*Beginning to Pray

Good Friday, Bad Attitude

2011-05-04T10:37:00.005-04:00

WE'VE ALL had that moment where we think, “I wish I hadn’t done that. I wish I hadn’t said that.” Almost as often, we’re left asking “Why did I do that? Why did I say that?”

The gospels give us examples of two people who were left with deep regret: Judas and Peter. What can we learn from them? What do they have in common with one another? With us?

Power Lust
Peter and Judas were looking for worldly power from Jesus.

We know well that Peter was often gunning for the top spot, always the first to speak, always the boldest in his words.

That’s an easy one. But, Judas?

Mystery surrounds this historical figure. We know a few things about him, among the most interesting is this: He held the money. But, how did he end up with that position? Wasn’t Matthew the former tax collector/money man? Wouldn’t he be the natural choice for the job? Despite this, Judas managed to get this position for himself.

As the true nature Jesus’ message became clearer, they started to resent him: “My Kingdom is not of this world.” Then, which world, precisely? “The Son of Man goes to be crucified?” Crucified?

Poor Me
They began to feel sorry for themselves. Their self-pity led to their betrayals of Christ. (“ I do not know the man!”)

And our self-pity is the root of so much of the regretful stuff we say and do.

A woman who feels overworked and unappreciated at her job expects to come home and have the family fall at her feet in worship. When they don’t, she may snaps in fury.

A man feels his wife doesn’t give him all the affection he “deserves.” Perhaps he should find someone else to give him affection...

In both cases, a family suffers.

A teenage girl find herself in the wrong relationship, robbed of her dignity. How often do these stories start with the feeling that her family just didn’t appreciate her and how good she was trying to be? “Why bother? It seems like the guys at school respect and ‘appreciate’ me much, much more for the grown-up woman that I am.”

“My boss doesn’t appreciate me,” another may say. “Perhaps, it’s o.k., then, to cheat him.”

“I am trying to run a business, but my employees are lazy and careless. Maybe that’s how I should treat their dignity.”

“Every day, I come home from school and have nothing fun to do. It’s not fair. My life is so boring. I need some real excitement.” Many porn-addicted adults were first exposed at age 14, or even as young as 9 and 10.

In each case, self-pity comes before the fall.

What Have I Done?
Then, of course, comes the regret, for Judas, for Peter, for me.

What have I done? And on and on.

There is nothing humble about Judas’ “I have betrayed innocent blood!” Why? Because that was the entirety of his self-righteous analysis, and mine as well. Nada mas. “How could I have done this?” There is not thought for God, His love and my desperate need for His grace.

A Way Out
How do we break this cycle? It seems to me that we should stop thinking so much. We think and think and think about our situation and feel worse and worse for ourselves.

When the self-pity starts to creep in, cut it short. Get out of the past and be in the present. If you are at work, work. If you are driving your car, drive your car. Be grateful for the present things, the project that’s engaging your mind, the hum of your car, the air moving in and out of your lungs and the presence of God to whom is glory unto ages of ages.

The Journey Begins

2011-02-25T14:20:00.012-05:00

GREAT LENT is upon us (and not too soon for me)!

Fr. Alexander Schmemann writes,

The Lenten worship is...a school of repentance. It teaches us what is repentance and how to acquire the spirit of repentance. It prepares us for and leads us to the spiritual regeneration without which ‘absolution’ remains meaningless. It is, in short, both teaching about repentance and the way of repentance. And since there can be no real Christian life without repentance, without this constant ‘re-evaluation’ of life, the Lenten worship is an essential part of the liturgical tradition of the Church.

These remarks underscore the on-going nature of repentance. They stand in sharp contrast to easy affirmations of having "been saved."

Some say it's a long period of time. But, an extended period is needed for developing a good habit, especially one like the "constant 're-evaluation' of life."

If you're looking for some helpful online material, look to coptichymns.net, which has a nice collection.

Additionally, Fr. James Kordaris sent me a link to some very helpful resources from our friends at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese.

Finally, thanks to Danny Meleka, who sent me the following articles:

St Basil, "On Fasting"

H.H. Pope Shenouda III, "Spiritual Exercises While Fasting"

H.H. Pope Shenouda III, "Communal Worship and Fasting"

H.G. Bishop Surial, "A Practical Journey through Lent"

Gospel readings of the Great Lent

St. John Chrysostom, "Great Lent: Our Journey to meet our Heavenly Bridegroom"

H.G. Bishop Serapion, "Preparing for Great Lent"

H.G. Bishop Serapion, "Great Lent: A Joyful Journey"

H.G. Bishop Youssef, "The Holy Great Fast and Spiritual Discipline"

Fr Matta el Maskeen, "The Deep Meaning of Fasting"

Book Review: God is No Delusion

2011-02-15T17:01:00.000-05:00

THERE ARE reasonable arguments for and against the existence of God.

In God is No Delusion, Thomas Crean, a Dominican friar in Cambridge, England has set out to address the claims of outspoken atheist author, Richard Dawkins. This brief work, while having cogent moments, cannot really be considered a comprehensive refutation of Dawkins. While Dawkins has not convinced me of God's non-existence, I was not particularly impressed with many aspects of Crean's work. I was disappointed, for example, to find the author consistently adopting Dawkins' disrespectful tone. On too many occasions he also seems to apply Dawkins' faulty method of argumentation, setting up frail straw men and beating the hay out of them.

To be sure, Crean makes several strong points, particularly in his chapters on miracles, the authenticity of the gospels, and morality and the Bible. Thus, this short, reasonably-priced book may be worth a quick read.

One Fruit

2011-01-19T10:07:00.008-05:00

TODAY Orthodox Christians celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. On major feasts, priests traditionally pray from the Divine Liturgy according to St. Gregory, in which the saint writes:

One tree there was, from which You forbade me to eat.
This of which You said to me: "From this only do not eat!"
I ate of my own free will.
I laid aside Your law by my own will.
I neglected Your commandments and brought upon myself the sentence of death.

"What is this tree?" I wondered. Then, meandering along on my run this morning, I spontaneously felt such great love for all the wonderful things around me: the fresh, crisp air; the trees, beautiful even in their barrenness; the crimsoning of the sky just past the clouds; the gentle give-and-take between my legs and the road. I began to think back upon any earlier part of that liturgy:

Holy, Holy are You, O Lord and Holy in every thing, and exceedingly elect is the light of your essence.
And inexpressible is the power of Your wisdom.
No manner of speech is able to define the deep expanse of Your love for mankind

You, as a Lover of mankind, created me, a man. You had no need of my servitude. Rather, it was me who was in need of Your lordship.
Because of the multitude of Your compassions, You formed me when I had no being.
You set up the sky for me as a ceiling.
You made the earth firm for me so that I could walk on it.
For my sake You bridled the sea.
For my sake You have revealed the nature of the animals.
You subdued everything under my feet.
You did not permit me to lack anything from among the deeds of Your honor.
You are He who formed me,
And placed Your hand upon me.
You wrote within me the image of Your authority;
And placed within me the gift of speech.
You opened for me the paradise, for my delight;
And gave me the learning of Your knowledge.
You revealed to me the tree of life!

And it all seemed to come together. That "tree" is sin itself. Eating from that tree is to look around at the plethora of legitimate pleasures (legitimate lusts, if you will allow it) and to spurn all of them, to turn from God and rush headlong for the one sinful option among them.

To find 1,000 good causes to support and to find the one aspect of one them to attack.

To ignore the many great qualities in your spouse and to compare her/him to the person on the magazine at the supermarket checkout.

To go to your university library, full of books and knowledge and good things and to choose to sit beside that one guy or girl who you know is trouble.

To fail to be overwhelmed by God's love, pressing, as it is, against you from every side!

In short to eat from that tree is to buy the field of bad intentions and dig for the most poisonous option, seeking it diligently as thought it were that pearl of great price.

The Egyptian Situation

2011-01-04T19:15:00.016-05:00

THERE IS NO NEED to "report" the bombing at the Church of the Saints in Alexandria, Egypt, the latest in a series of terrorist attacks against Coptic Christians inside Egypt. Clearly, the issue has garnered attention outside Egypt.

President Obama has issued a statement, condemning the attacks. Pope Benedict XVI has also weighed in. The Christian Science Monitor is calling for prosecutions. Fox News and MSNBC have also addressed the issue.

Speaking to Al Ahram, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III said, "The slogans used by some [Coptic protesters] have transgressed all values and modes of behavior... and some have tried to resort to violence, but violence is absolutely not a method of ours." He added

We can not prevent people from expressing their sorrow, yet I ask them to express their feelings without violence. I am glad that many Muslims joined [in the protests] which shows that all are against terrorism and sectarian violence. The attack brought us together and we have to unite against the enemy that aims to weaken our bonds.

He also expressed views regarding the government's role: "I believe that the state has a duty to solve Copts' problems," adding, "We all believe in the rule of law and the importance of law and order. A state would collapse if the law was not implemented, but we want equality. Additionally,

Citizenship is a great principle, but many don’t understand it, for it means equality.We must be alert to all kinds of discrepancies taking place in the our society. We should face problems and work on solving them because if we just ignore them, it will get worse.

The National Democratic Party's Policies Committee Chairman (and presumptive future Egyptian president), Gamal Mubarak called the attack "heinous" and asserted that everyone behind the terrorist attack will sooner or later be brought to justice.

Many here in the U.S. have suggested exerting pressure by whatever dignified means available. Among the options suggested was a letter campaign, directed to U.S. congresspersons. While I think this is helpful and necessary, President Obama and the U.S. Congress are preoccupied with resolving other important issues, such as those concerning healthcare and the economy, as well as the growing concern over Iran, North Korea, and domestic security. The concerns of their American constituents and (realistically) their own political well-being will dominate their efforts.

In the end, Egypt's destiny will, for better or worse, be decided by and among Egyptians. Encouragingly, many in the mainstream Egyptian media have begun to express the an appropriate level outrage. Among them are Amr Adeeb and, his wife and colleague, Lamis Elhadidy:

With a burdened heart, I ask you to join me in praying and advocating for Egypt, my people.

Ditching Your Friends

2010-12-22T10:35:00.007-05:00

FRIENDSHIP CAN be complex. People don't advance at the same pace and, so, they sometimes become separated. It is so in running and in the spiritual life. When you care about someone, sometimes you have to let that space happen.

In On the Priesthood, St. John Chrysostom recalls a friend who left him behind, but not out of spite:

Our balance was no longer even, but his scale mounted high. I, on the other hand, still entangled in the lusts of this world, dragged mine down and kept it low, adding weight to it with those whims in which young people are tend to indulge. For the future, our friendship indeed remained as firm as it was before, but our communication was interrupted. This is because it was impossible for persons who were not interested in the same things to spend much time together. But as soon as I also began to emerge a little from the flood of worldliness, he received me with open arms. Still not even then could we maintain our former equality: for having started before me, and having displayed great earnestness, he rose again above my level, and soared to a great height.

Being a good man, however, and placing a high value on my friendship, he separated himself from all the rest (of the brethren), and spent all his time with me. This is something he wanted to do before, but had been prevented, as I was saying, by my lack of seriousness. This is because it was impossible for a man who attended the law-courts, and was in a flutter of excitement about the pleasures of the the theater, to be often in the company of one who was nailed to his books, and never set foot in the mall. Consequently when the hindrances were removed, and he had brought me into the same condition of life as himself, he gave free vent to the desire with which he had long been laboring. He could not bear leaving me even for a moment...(*)

Note that the friend, though he left John behind, placed "a high value" on the friendship. How does this make sense? How do you love someone and ditch them at the same time? Messed up? Maybe the lesson is this: To love someone is to have the courage to advance without them. You spend time doing what is good and right, hoping and praying that, as in race ("Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it."1 Cor. 9), he will see you, long to be with you and to be like you. She will be inspired by your training and the fruits it brings. You will run shoulder-to-shoulder in zeal and the love of God.

And, like a race, real life is a dynamic situation. She is bound to fall off pace as her legs become tired. Will pull you her forward?
____
St. John Chrysostom, On the Priesthood, Bk. 1, par. 3, 4

Congratulations to H.G. Bishop Suriel

2010-12-08T14:46:00.003-05:00

I am excited to report that His Grace's PhD. thesis proposal has been accepted. You may read more about it here. As you may know, His Grace seeks to contribute much to our knowledge of Archdeacon Habib Jirgis.

Book Review: The Fathers of the Church

2010-12-04T19:00:00.002-05:00

PEOPLE SOMETIMES ASK for a "book about the fathers." For those seeking a first book on the subject, The Fathers of the Church: From Clement of Rome to Augustine of Hippois a nice option.

It consists of 36 short homilies by Benedict XIV* on 26 Fathers, with extra homilies being devoted to such Fathers as Origen, Chrysostom, Gregory of Nyssa, and Augustine. The author really loves Augustine. On the flip side, covering so many fathers over just 170 pages, the book is by no means exhaustive, nor does it aim to be.

As it is a series of sermons, the book is at once edifying, readable and informative. A series of short biographical sketches as well as a listing of English books on the Fathers are appended at the end. This book is heartily recommended to those interested in an introduction to the Fathers. The reader may then go on to books which treat one or more of these Fathers in greater depth.
________
*One small point: As the homilies were delivered by H.H. the Pope of Rome - an author whom I enjoy very much - there are a number of understandable, but perhaps gratuitous, references to the Roman church's belief in its primacy. In contrast, the Orthodox church holds to the collegiality of bishops worldwide.

Fear and Longing

2010-11-30T12:33:00.005-05:00

IN A RECENT post, Fr. Steven at Glory to God for All Things, quotes the following from Elder Sophrony:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Psalm 111:10). This fear descends on us from on High. It is a spiritual feeling, firstly of God and then of us ourselves. We live in a state of awe by virtue of the presence of the Living God together with awareness of our own impurity. This fear places us before the Face of God to be judged by Him. We have fallen so low that our distress over ourselves turns into profound suffering, more painful than the torments of seeing ourselves in the darkness of ignorance, in the paralysis of non-feeling, in slavery to the passions. The dread is our awakening from the age-old sleep in sin. It brings us the light of perception – on the one hand, of our fatal condition and, on the other, of the holiness of God. It is an astonishing phenomenon – without its naturally purificative action the way to perfect love of God will not be opened to us. It is not only ‘the beginning of wisdom’ but of love, too. It will also alarm our soul with a revelation of ourselves, as we are, and bind us to God in longing to be with Him(*).

Fear is a gift, given not to ruin or stunt my life, but to renew and save it. It wakes me up. That is, it is "an astonishing phenomenon" that will "alarm our soul with a revelation of ourselves."
_______
*We Shall See Him As He Is: The Spiritual Autobiography of Elder Sophrony

The Diligent Life

2010-11-27T16:59:00.014-05:00

IT'S FREQUENTLY SUGGESTED in the popular media that Christianity teaches us not to shine, to be down and depressed.

What a lie.

St. Gregory of Nyssa writes:

The sky was not made in God’s image, not the moon, not the sun, not the beauty of the stars, no other things which appear in creation. Only you (human soul) were made to be the image of nature that surpasses every intellect, likeness of incorruptible beauty, mark of true divinity, vessel of blessed life, image of true light, that when you look upon it, you become what He is, because through the reflected ray, coming from your purity, you imitate Him who shines within you. Nothing that exists can measure up to your greatness.(1)

How do we shine? According the passage above, we must, in the first place, look to God. Do we? This requires an investment of time and intention. Either we give them or we don't. Only then will we reflect what we see.

Another, parallel lie is that sin and unholiness will make us free. I recently saw the film Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky. With great skill, the actors portray Chanel and Stravinski's complex affair, one that all but devastates Stravinsky's family.

Sin, in all its candy-wrapper beauty, is ugly, boring and draining in its details.

In this vein, St. Gregory also talks of the little deposits that sin leaves on our hearts:

If, with a diligent and attentive standard of living, you wash away the bad things that have deposited upon your heart, the divine beauty will shine in you...contemplating yourself, you will see within you Him who is the desire of your heart, and you will be blessed.(2)

To scrub off these deposits, we need that diligence and attentiveness to become our way of life, our "standard of living." How much trouble could we avoid by simply paying attention!

If we pay attention - - and only when we pay attention -- will we even know, in the first place, that these deposits are lying on your hearts. Some of us are moving along, half dead, because we live with this inner junk like it's some normal part of us that should be there.

Finally, St. Chromatius of Aquileia reminds us of our true support in our desperation:

Let us pray to the Lord with all our hear and all our faith, let us pray him to deliver us from all enemy incursions, from all fear of adversaries. Do not look at our merits, but at his mercy, at him who also in the past set...the Children of Israel free, not for their own merits, but through his mercy. May he protect us with his customary, merciful love and bring about for us what holy Moses said to the Children of Israel: The Lord will fight to defend you, and you will be silent (Exod. 14:14). It is he who fights, it is he who wins the victory...And so that he may condescend to do so, we must pray as much as possible. He himself said, in fact, through the mouth of the prophet: Call on Me on the day of tribulations; I will set you free and you will give me glory.” (Ps. 49:15)(3).

God knows us and we need to know ourselves. That is, we need to know when the danger is coming, when the incursion into our heart is about to happen.

But I can only know this if we do the “looking into my heart” discussed above. It’s then, at each of those tiny moments, time and again, that we call upon him. That’s how, brick-by-brick, we build a victorious life.

_____
(1)St. Gregory of Nyssa, Homily on the Song of Songs, 2
(2)St. Gregory of Nyssa, On the Beatitudes, 6
(3)St. Chromatius of Aquileia, Commentary on Matthew

The Power of Realizing

2010-11-13T13:22:00.006-05:00

SOMETIMES when I'm running, I imagine myself pulling away from those ugly and grabby habits and tendencies I hate most and, as it were, into God's embrace.

There is nothing deep or profound in this exercise. Maybe that's what makes it so effective. I am, at those moments, integrating into very physical body, the deepest desire of my heart (and, according to St. Augustine, every heart).

Do you know that feeling? The feeling of being tied and drowned by habits and tendencies you hate?

Before coming to Christ at the age of thirty-five, St. Cyprian cultivated a whole host of sinful and destructive tendencies. They didn't go "poof!" once he set out to live a godly life. A few months after his baptism he wrote,

When I was still lying in darkness and gloomy night, I used to regard it as extremely difficult and demanding to do what God's mercy was suggesting to me. I myself was held in bonds by the innumerable errors of my previously life, from which I did not believe I could possibly be delivered, so I was disposed to acquiesce in my clinging vices and indulge my sins...

But, after that, by the help of the water of new birth, the stain of my former life was washed away, and the light from above, serene and pure, was infused in my recoiled heart...a second birth restored me to a new man. Then, in a wondrous manner, every doubt began to fade...I clearly understood that what had first lived within me, enslaved by the vices of the flesh, was earthly, and that what, instead, the Holy Spirit had wrought within me was divine and holy.(*)

Like St. Cyprian, were are torn. Our "old man" is crawling with vices that cling to us (hence the saying "monkey on my back.")

It is only when we realize that all these ugly things living within us are earthy, and that the sacraments (baptism, holy communion) are divine and holy, that we can begin to be free and powerful.
___
Letter to Donatus 3,4

Newbie Runner Advice

2010-11-12T15:42:00.004-05:00

EVERY NOW and then someone beginning runner asks a question on runningahead.com which elicits some helpful, fundamentals-type advice. Here is a response to a beginner, posted there by Jeff, author of The Logic of Long Distance blog. I'm saving it here for myself, but it's a helpful read for any new runner.

Don't try to push the mileage too high too fast. I think weekly mileage goals are good, but maybe it's better to focus on going every day, or if you have time, doubling 3 or 4 or 5 times a week. Then the mileage will follow. The general idea though is just to run frequently, train the body to be a running machine.

You should also do strides or hill charges 2-3 times a week. Start with 4-5 x 60m and work from there to 8-10 by 100m. The idea here is to run fast and relaxed.

For "workouts" I think that it would be best to go by feel. Keep the pace easy on most of your runs, but two or three times a week it's okay to let the pace go. Run strong, open your stride, feel your strength, finish fast. You could do more formal work than this: 90s hill repeats or some fartlek work like 1min - 2min - 5min - 3min fast running w/4 min easy jogging in between. These are just guidelines. Experiment with ways to work your fast running into your runs in ways that make you feel strong and in ways that are sustainable.

Finally, [the] point about races is important. You should do some time trials every now and then if you can't find a race. Maybe every three weeks? Just to practice the feel of racing. Maybe you can find some other runners? ...It will be extremely helpful to run with other folks--some faster, some slower.

Good luck! You've already taken the most important step in training, which is committing to getting faster. Don't forget to have fun along the way!

Winning Yourself

2010-11-08T10:33:00.008-05:00

Haile Gebrselassie, known as "The Emperor," is considered by many to be the greatest runner of all time. On Sunday, he announced his retirement from the sport.

Here is a nice clip, in which he discusses "winning yourself."

Track and Field Videos on Flotrack

He once told CNN,

When you believe in something, you believe in yourself as well. I believe in God. I go to a church and pray, not just to pray to God, but at the same time to pray for yourself. Your body is always ready to do what you recommend what you ask it. That's why believing is very important. I am a religious person. I am an orthodox Christian. My family taught me how to pray.(*)

Here he is announcing his retirement, after the 2010 New York City Marathon

Track and Field Videos on Flotrack

_______
*Q & A with Haile Gebrselassie

Bishop Suriel's Research

2010-11-03T10:01:00.002-04:00

I WAS EXCITED to receive an update on H.G. Bishop Suriel's research into the pivotal Coptic figure, Habib Jirgis.

His Grace provides an update on his blog.

The Baystate Marathon

2010-10-25T10:23:00.012-04:00

LAST WEEK I took a second crack at the marathon. After a little time to reflect, I am o.k. with how it went.

I went out hoping to hit sub-3:30. The night before, I thought: "All I have to do is start a bit carefully and then try to stay in the 7:50s." This did not exactly pan out. Like my training, there were brief good moments, some bad ones, and some really bad ones.

I crossed the 10k mark in 50:42, feeling fine, but realizing that I was running with the sub-3:40 crowd. This is more or less where I remained.

Near the end of the first half, I could not tell whether I had more than enough to finish "evenly," or if did not have nearly enough. Such is novice marathoning.

When I crossed mile 20 in 2:42 and change, I thought, "A 48-minute 10k? I can do that." Miles 21 and 22 reflected that belief. But, for whatever reason, during the 23-26.2 stretch, either became cautious or lost some zip, finishing in 3:36.

I think in many ways the race was microcosm of the training that preceded it. I ran more than I ever have, but my training was erratic and I do not think I "learned" my body well, how different paces felt, and what the different signals from my body meant. The fact that, throughout the race, I could not tell whether I had a ton of reserves left or very little is, itself, indicative.

I read Pete Pfitzinger's Advanced Marathoning and followed (more or less) his 18/70 plan, but wish I had fully-digested it well before I started training or, at the very least eight weeks before the race.
I attempted a number of workouts, but did give myself the time or rest to execute them properly. In some cases, I executed them more aggressively than I should have.

If, God willing, I run a marathon this Spring, I hope to get to bed consistently earlier so that I can get up early and do the workouts properly and after proper rest. Doing workouts properly entails not pushing harder than is called-for. I also need to take my easier days a bit easier so as to soak up the benefits from the hard days. I also split most of the weekday medium-long runs into doubles, which does not produce good results for me.

Overall, I am thankful to God and my wife for supporting me in this beautiful thing. Thirty minutes faster than last year is a lot to be grateful for. Time to take it easy for a bit.

Counsels on the Spiritual Life: Mark the Monk (Book Review)

2010-10-23T16:12:00.009-04:00

WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE, I had the chance to read Fr. Tim Vivian’s translation of the Coptic Life of Antony. It remains my favorite translation of The Life. With Counsels on the Spiritual Life: Mark the Monk,
Fr. Tim provides us with another edition of edifying scholarship.

In this two-volume translation and compilation, Fr. Tim and Augustine Cassiday bring us a collection of the known writings of St. Mark the Monk. As an anthology of what we have of St. Mark, it is quite valuable. I highly recommend it to those who are interested in this saint and his thinking.

The first volume is reason enough to pick up the book. It includes spiritual counsel offered to Mark’s disciple Nicholas, as well as chapters on repentance and fasting. The crown-jewel of the work of volume 1 is chapter 3, “On the Spiritual Law.”

In volume 2, we get St. Mark’s theological, including christological, teachings on certain topics. For those looking solely for spiritual guidance, some parts of the book, particularly volume 2, may seem a bit dry and tedious. This is through no fault of the editors, who goal was to provide us a better understanding of who St. Mark was and of his writings. To be sure, the “purely” spiritual material is reason enough to get this book. And, as would be expected, many of the “theological” sections are replete with edifying material and spiritual insight.

How Champions Finish

2010-10-13T12:05:00.002-04:00

HERE'S the amazing men's finish at last Sunday's the Chicago Marathon:

Track and Field Videos on Flotrack

Sound Familiar?

2010-10-09T15:53:00.006-04:00

"ONCE human beings were cut off from the light of paradise," writes St. Mark the Monk, "they forgot about the light and were enamored with the opposite." He continues his discussion of The Fall,

Error became more characteristic of them than the truth; wickedness became second nature; idolatry acceptable, pleasure-seeking legitimate, covetousness something to be deliberately sought, sin something to be multiplied, rage more fearful, the serpent more audacious; humans at time befuddled and at other times distracted, ignorant of the future while being wrapped up in the present, while still "the creation was subjected to the futility," as it is written, "not of his own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in the hope" (Rom. 8:20) of his own coming.

I think it's helpful to look at this list. How close to home does it hit? How many of the items describe me? For example, how easily do I fly into a rage, and how "fearful" is that rage? How much have I developed my greediness? How "audacious" and comfortable is the serpent (sin) with me?

The answers give me a good measure of deep into the Fall I have sunk versus how much I live in God's hope.

Why Have You Come?

2010-10-03T21:53:00.012-04:00

Today’s reading from the Coptic Lectionary (Luke 7:36-50), reminds me of a question our Lord once asked Judas: “Friend, why have you come?” For each of us in the Church, this remains a relevant and potent question: Why have I come?

Today’s reading sheds some light. Looking at the passage, we find three groups:

The Pharisee’s Guests
Many of the people, no doubt, were there to see a sight. We know from the rest of the gospels that very often people gathered, not to be blessed by Christ, but because of miracles and signs and bread. They came of curiosity, to gather information, to see a spectacle, and/or for a source of gossip. The eternal and living God was there, perfect in His power and in His love. He was there to heal, but they had come for these ulterior reasons.

How about us? Why do we come to church? Do we come to look at who is there, to gossip? Maybe it is not something so sinister. Out of habit? A place to bring our kids, a social place, for networking, to see our friends? Do we come to be holy? (Be sure, that we can actually come to church and end up less holy). Or, do we come to meet God, to meet Christ, for this Person to heal us, change us, for Him to set our hearts on fire?

Questions we each need to regularly ask ourselves.

The Pharisee
This man was so proud of himself and of the honored guest he had in his home, that he forgot to honor the guest Himself.

We too like to associate with good and powerful people, sometimes not so we can take blessing, wisdom, strength and holiness, but so we can feel proud of who we know.

We want to feel important and so we associate with important, good, and holy people. But the right goal is to become better ourselves, to be like those people. People like to say they are Christian, not just an Egyptian, but Christian Egyptian, which is fine. But at some point, it becomes an identity, like something we put on the census. Where should my focus be? That I identify myself socially as a Christian, or that I have a living relationship with Christ Himself?

The Woman
This is the one who no one expects to be the hero in a story. No one in a religious community would look at her as the highest person. No one looks at her and says, "This is the holiest person."

Believe me, there are saints among us to whom we would not give the time of day.

There are saints who are lacking friendship and love. And their starvation for friendship and love is a blessing to them. They are fasting from love and respect. God is looking at us, withholding our love and respect, and I am sure it saddens His heart

Our Lord told a parable which has a special meaning in our modern economic climate. It was like explaining that one person owed a Wall Street banker $5,000,000 and the other $50. When the banker forgave them both, who loved him more?

Here’s the thing: when we believe we have been forgiven a lot, we love a lot. The issue is not how much we’re actually forgiven (We’ve all been forgiven infinitely). It’s how much we understand we’re forgiven.

There are people who believe God has forgiven them very little: “Hey, I’m an ok guy,” they may think, “No, I’m not perfect, but I’m a decent person, committed sins like anyone else and I’m grateful enough for God’s forgiveness.”

But this woman, like the real saints, was overwhelmed by God’s love and forgiveness. She got carried away. She was "over-doing it."

The Lord said “I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

According to Lev Gillet, the Greek leaves open two interpretations: Because you were forgiven much, you loved much, and because you loved much, you were forgiven much.

The question for us is, are we overwhelmed with God’s love? If not, what’s happened to us? Do we love much, so that we draw God’s great love? If we don’t want God’s love, he will not shove it on us. Violence against our free will is alien to his nature.

New Book: Run to Overcome

2010-08-30T17:26:00.003-04:00

AMERICAN DISTANCE CHAMPION Meb Keflezighi has just announced the completion of his book Run to Overcome, which will be released in November.

The following is description of the book:

When Meb Keflezighi won the New York City Marathon in 2009—the first American to do so in 27 years—some critics questioned whether the Eritrean-born runner was “really” an American despite his citizenship status and representing the USA on two Olympic and several World Championship teams. Yet Meb is the living embodiment of the American dream. His family came to the U.S. to escape from a life of poverty and a violent war with Ethiopia; Meb was 12 at the time, spoke no English, and had never raced a mile. Yet he became an A student and a high school state and national champion. And when he stood on the platform as a silver medalist in the 2004 Olympics, Meb knew his hard work and determination had paid off. How could life be any better?

Then it all came crashing down. Meb, a favorite for the Beijing Olympics, fractured his pelvis during the trials and was left literally crawling. His close friend and fellow marathoner suffered a cardiac arrest at the trials and died that same day. Devastated, Meb was about to learn whether his faith in God, the values his parents had taught him, and his belief that he was born to run were enough to see him through.

Run to Overcome tells the inspirational story of a man who discovered the real meaning of victory, and who embodies the American spirit of overcoming the odds.

Questions in the Life of Mary

2010-08-22T19:37:00.007-04:00

TODAY Coptic Orthodox Christians celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of Mary.

It's worth thinking about some of the questions asked in the life of Mary:

Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” (Luke 1:34)

It's interesting that the same angel, Gabriel, visited Zacharias and gave him similarly astounding news. And Zacharias gave an answer that was nearly identical to Mary's:

“How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.” (Luke 1:18)

Yet, Zacharias was struck dumb (v.20), while Mary was praised and exalted (v.28).

What is going on here?

The key difference is the spirit in which the two questions are asked. Mary is asking how it will come to pass. What is the mechanism God will use to achieve His purpose? Mary seeks a deeper understanding of God's work in her life.

Zacharias asked "How shall I know this...?" In other words, "How can I be expected to believe this?" "Do you really think I am going to buy this?" "You want me to swallow this?

From Mary to Joseph there is a great ocean of difference in attitude.

The worst thing we can do is ask God nothing, to seek to learn nothing from him, to be passive. We're sometimes under to hideous impression that it is wrong to ask God questions, to learn. Passive is the worst way to be.

When things happen (or we know they are about to), we can take a stance of anger and resentment towards God, or openness, seeking and, even, excitement.

This humble, honest, earnest seeking will drive us to study the Bible, but for the right reasons. I will open the Bible seeking to learn about God and his ways in my life, not to just to become learned, to show off to others (and to myself).

Do I have this humble hunger for God and for learning his ways? Or does arrogance drive me to study the Bible? Do I seek the “master” the Bible so I can feel good about that? What is my sincere goal in studying the Bible and memorizing verses?

Father Matta Al Meskeen writes,

It is easy to find scientific, historical and literary books which seek truth. They explore the reality found within and without man, and they seek it in all its forms. They shed light on knowledge of all kinds, both regarding man and truth in general. They are written on the mind's level. They address his physical well-being, increase his awareness and enrich his intellectual and cultural heritage.

But the Bible is not so, and should not be approached in this way. The Bible is a direct, personal message from God to man aiming at his slavation and lifting his spirit to prepare him for the better life, eternal life.

When you read the Bible as a personal message to you from God, the words find their way to the depths of your conscience and spiritual emotion.(1)

Does the Bible find its way that deeply into me? Does it penetrate and enliven my very emotions? Does it make me a stronger, more stable, deeper-feeling person?
He continues,

You read with a spiritual awareness, your heart being open, receptive and ready for obedience and joy.(2)

Do I read with an open, ready, receptive heart?Or do I come to it like a bitter person coming home to his family from work: closed, resentful, feeling a sense of duty, rather than in an open spirit of love, welcoming, and eagerness?
________
(1)Fr. Matta El Maskeen, "The Bible as a Personal Message to You"
(2) Ibid.

Book Review: The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

2010-07-26T12:03:00.003-04:00

THERE ARE THOSE UNMONUMENTAL coincidences that would have me wonder, for a moment, whether God had flashed me a wink.

Today, without any instigation on my part, I found myself dining at Malecon in The Heights, New York City. Malecon is a real-deal Dominican joint, where I ate some of the best chicken I've ever had.

As it turns out, I had just finished the last chapters of Junot Diaz's Pulitzer-prize winning debut novel, The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Splitting time between New Jersey and the Domincan Republic (wink), Diaz spins the tale of the achingly deep, brilliant and tubby Dominican "ghetto nerd" Oscar Wao.

Breaking nearly every traditional rule of punctuation and syntax, Diaz writes literary fiction on the level of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, yet has you turning the pages as fast as would Danielle Steele (Hold. I have no firsthand experience, whatever, of Steele. Sheer conjecture).

As Marquez did in One Hundred Years of Solitude, Diaz powerfully illustrates how one generation's habits, sins, characteristics, and actions trickle into the next, for better or for worse. Though Diaz did not likely write to edify, per se (or at all), I cannot help but take away a little warning. The stuff I do, the habits I choose to develop, the inherited negative character traits that I don't drown: my kids, my wife, my coworkers, my friends are afflicted with them.

A curse, known to Dominicans as fuku, is believed to have afflicted Oscar's family. What is this thing, if it exists at all, that has brought his family pain upon pain? Why are they always on a downward dive? He believes he's cracked its code, but the reader does not discover what he's learned.

Makes me think: What is the curse we're all under? Isn't it sin and our fallen nature? Isn't it the crummy habits we develop that plague and curse our lives and homes?

And what of the cure? How do we break it? Isn't it repentance? Isn't it, by the grace of God, to face down the ugly little temptations that knock on my mind's door?

Nuns are the Best

2010-07-21T10:55:00.004-04:00

Sister Mary Elizabeth Lloyd, who runs marathons to raise money and awareness about children orphaned by AIDS, said

What I love about running is you can meditate while running. It's a peaceful place. You pray and think of the children and what you're doing, and you get through it. The time passes clearly. The first mile is the hardest.

Manute Bol's Radical Christianity

2010-07-14T09:48:00.005-04:00

JOURNALISTS use the terms "redemption" and "atonement," fairly loosely. But for Manute Bol, who died last week, these terms had a real theological meaning, a meaning that translated into a single-minded life for Christ. Here's a nice Wall Street Journal piece my wife sent me.

Are You Saved? - An Orthodox Christian Answer

2010-07-12T12:17:00.003-04:00

(via Professor David Opderbeck)

Western States 100

2010-07-02T16:50:00.004-04:00

THE WESTERN STATES 100 has been described as the "de facto national championship" of ultra-racing. Most runner's will not run it. Most know that they cannot ever run it. This is not a never-say-never issue. There is wisdom in never.

For an in depth look at the race experience itself - its pain and beauty - check out the reports of super-elites Anton Krupicka and Geoff Roes.

Hey, maybe one day I'll race it. You never know.
__
Photo by Luis Escobar

On Being Furious

2010-06-28T12:32:00.017-04:00

PEOPLE make me angry sometimes.

St. Mark the Monk, a highly-regarded early Christian writer, urges,

Do not be defeated by anger that causes you to hate your brother. Anger, on account of some pathetic and wretched pretext, closes you both to inflict and to suffer pain, and has you storing up reminders of wicked thoughts about your neighbor, shutting you off from pure prayer directed to God.(*)

The word "pretext" here is interesting. A pretext is generally an excuse a person makes up to justify some action/behavior. Here, he's saying that anger is playing with you. It generates some silly basis for being ticked off (the way a person spoke to you, looked at you, or (gasp!) dissed your Internet persona(!)). We take this pretext (fools!) and run with it.

He continues,

Reducing the mind to utter slavery, anger has you suspiciously eyeing your brother and soulmate with savage thoughts. It fetters the conscience with irrational impulses...

I mean this is spot-on. Admit it, when you're in the grip of anger, it owns you. You're its slave. It fetters (chains) your very conscience. Your whole judgment system is off and your words and actions are no longer controlled by your conscience, because, that conscience is chained and powerless.

Moreover,

It also hands you over for a while to evil spirits to whom you submit yourself for punishment, until the mind, completely at a loss and overwhelmed by sorrow and apathy...having lost the spiritual progress gained by living in accordance with God, begins again and sets out once more, with great humility, taking the first steps on the road to salvation.

In the arrogance of our anger, we're robbed completely of everything good, and are forced to state of humility (sooner rather than later, hopefully!) to start again on our spiritual path.

As for me, I hate wasting time and energy on such a destructive cycle. I think we're each better off thinking once and twice before we so easily and arrogantly invite anger through the front door of our heart.

Dude makes mess.
__________
*Vivian, Tim; Casiday, Augustine(trans).Counsels on the Spiritual Life: Mark the Monk. p 62

The Logic of Jesus

2010-05-23T14:50:00.003-04:00

THERE IS SOLACE in logic.

In today's reading from the Coptic Lectionary (Jn. 15-end; 16:1-15), we see the logic of Jesus. In a tone that is calm, and which endeavors to steady the disciples' wobbly emotional ship, the Lord prepares them for their coming struggle.

But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

The one who has truly been with Jesus, has experienced His love, His person, cannot but witness Him. "B" logically follows from "A"

These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble.

I recently ran a very, very rocky, technical trail race. I stumbled and fell all over the place. I all but fell on my face (I did fall to my knees at least twice). Why? I was not trained. I did not have miles and miles of even simple trail running under my feet. Jesus has given us his words that they might live in us and that we might not stumble. A life of daily and deep meditation on Jesus' words and their meaning to us, will steady us along life's rocky trails.

...And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me.

What, at root, is the reason people, even religious people, do terrible, nasty, backhanded things? Jesus submits to us that, deep down it is because they do not know Him, nor the Father. A person who truly has Christ within her, will not do sneaky, evil, underhanded things. Whenever, I see a "mean people suck" bumper sticker, I have to wonder at the person's frustration. It seems to stem from a kind of hippie, humanistic expectation that people can and should be "nice" and that those who fail to do so are "mean" and they "suck." The Christian is not surprised by the reality of mean people. It is expected. Christianity is a sober view of the real world.

But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them.

When the rocky stretch comes, we'll have something to reach back and remember.

And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you...But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.

As in any relationship, the beginning is courtship and warmth. But, as you really get to live with someone, you need to hear more of the real stuff: "This is what it means to live with me. You need to know that..." "Come follow Me" becomes "And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple."

Joseph at Work

2010-05-06T11:13:00.007-04:00

Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD made all he did to prosper in his hand. So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority. So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was on all that he had in the house and in the field. Thus, he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate...

...The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the LORD was with him...*

Can the people I work with feel this way?
________
*Gen. 39

One Life: Body and Soul

2010-04-10T08:22:00.005-04:00

CHRIST IS RISEN!

As we bask in these light-filled days following the Resurrection Feast, let's consider the relationship of the soul and the body at the time of our departure. Way back when, there was a raging debate in the world about whether what a person does with her body has any bearing on her soul, and vice-versa.

Tertullian - writing agianst those who argued that the soul and the body were separate - states,

Come now, let our opponents cut the connection of the flesh with the soul in the affairs of life, that they may be emboldened to sunder it also in the recompense of life. Let them deny their association in acts, that they may be fairly able to deny also their participation in rewards (1).

In other words, they want to divide the relationship between the body and the soul in this life. Why? So they can feel comfortable that even if they do bad stuff with our bodies, the soul will be fine on judgment day. He continues,

The flesh ought not to have any share in the sentence, if it had none in the cause of it. Let the soul alone be called back, if it alone went away. But (nothing of the kind ever happened); for the soul alone no more departed from life, than it ran through alone the course from which it departed— I mean this present life. Indeed, the soul alone is so far from conducting (the affairs of) life, that we do not withdraw from community with the flesh even our thoughts, however isolated they be, however unprecipitated into act by means of the flesh; since whatever is done in man's heart is done by the soul in the flesh, and with the flesh, and through the flesh (2).

The point here is, my soul ran through this life with my body. My soul directs whatever I do in my body, with my body and through my body. So, they will face the afterlife together. Next, he reasons from the Gospels:

The Lord Himself, in short, when rebuking our thoughts, includes in His censures this aspect of the flesh, (man's heart), the citadel of the soul: “Why do you think evil in your hearts?” Matthew 9:4 and again: “Whosoever looks on a woman, to lust after her, has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:28 So that even the thought, without operation and without effect, is an act of the flesh... (3)

Bottom line is, body and soul do business together and sink or swim together:

The soul is never without the flesh, as long as it is in the flesh. There is nothing which the flesh does not transact in company with the soul, when without it it does not exist (4).

If each of us were honest with ourselves, we'd realize there are times we want to justify being cruel or unholy in our thoughts by being holy in our bodies. Other times, we hope that, so long as we are good, nice, and friendly on the inside, it doesn't matter if we trash our bodies.

We each have a tendency towards one or the other, but thanks be to God who is stronger than our tendencies.
__________
(1)On the Resurrection of the Flesh, ch. 15
(2)Ibid.
(3)Ibid.
(4)Ibid.

When We Feel Down (A Lot)

2010-03-20T19:24:00.006-04:00

I FEEL BLUE sometimes. And, like most, when I get lost in it, I can really get on a (downward) roll.

Last night, a group of friends and I discussed "combating despair."

St. Gregory Palamas writes,

This is why no one should give way to despair, even though the devil finds various means by which to insinuate it not only into those who live carelessly but also into those who practice the ascetic life. If, then, the time of this life is time for repentance, the very fact that a sinner still lives is a pledge that God will accept whoever desires to return to Him. Free will is always part and parcel of this present life. And it lies within the power of free will to choose or to reject the road of life or the road of death ... for it can pursue whichever it wishes. Where, then, are the grounds for despair, since all of us can at all times lay hold of eternal life whenever we want to?*

He shows that the key to beating the blues is a total paradigm shift, that is a complete, radical correction in the way I look at life itself. Once I properly understand the very purpose of my life, that it is for repentance (i.e., turning my mind and heart to God), the very fact that I am alive and still able to draw nearer and nearer to God is reason enough to crush despair.

There will always be things that will bring us down, but a reason we may stay down is that our whole understanding of what life is about is screwed up.

The very fact that I am alive and have within me the "power of free will" is cause enough to for me to rejoice.
_____________
*"To the Most Reverend Nun Xenia, 17." Philokalia, vol. iv, p. 299

Lent--Why Bother?

2010-03-03T16:11:00.005-05:00

Frederica Mathewes-Green has published a nice essay on the value of Great Lent.

Ms. Mathewes-Green has written much on Eastern Christian spirituality and the Orthodox Church. Her husband, Fr. Gregory Mathewes-Green, is an Orthodox priest. Among her works are:

The Illumined Heart: Capture the Vibrant Faith of Ancient Christians

The Jesus Prayer: The Ancient Desert Prayer That Tunes the Heart to God

At the Corner of East and Now: A Modern Life in Ancient Christian Orthodoxy; and

The Open Door: Entering the Sactuary of Icons and Prayer

_______
Thank you to Andrew Mitry for sending the article.

Book Review: The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church

2010-02-10T14:47:00.008-05:00

ON A FEW occasions, I've been asked regarding “books about the Fathers.” Here is one title to which I would direct anyone interested in the Fathers.

In The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church, Vladimir Lossky, a prominent theologian of the 20th Century, and the author of Orthodox Theology: An Introduction and Vision of God, presents an integrated vision of Orthodox theology. His thesis, one which he amply supports, is that theology and spirituality cannot be considered apart from one another. He writes,

Outside the truth kept by the whole Church personal experience would be deprived of all certainty, of all objectivity. It would be a mingling of truth and of falsehood, of reality and of illusion: 'mysticism' in the bad sense of the word. On the other hand, the teaching of the Church would have no hold on souls if it did not in some degree express an inner experience of truth, granted in different measure to each one of the faithful. There is, therefore, no Christian mysticism without theology; but, above all, there is no theology without mysticism.*

Lossky starts with “The Divine Darkness” and reaches “The Divine Light,” before bringing his study to conclusion. The study - which is supported by many passages from enlightened saints and teachers - includes an especially helpful chapter on the spiritual life entitled “The Way of Union.”

A word of caution: This is not a light or easy read. However, the very style which makes the book dense, makes it deep and enriching and makes reading it a highly rewarding experience.

___
*p. 9

Clark Carlton

2010-01-28T16:29:00.003-05:00

ONE PODCAST I particularly enjoy is Faith and Philosophy by Clark Carlton. Professor Carlton, a convert to Orthodox Christianity, brings a sober understanding of the world and its cultures to each of his discussions.

He is the author of The Faith: Understanding Orthodox Christianity, a title recommended for those interested in such topics as the Trinity, the Fall, and the teachings of Christ.

Staring Down the Green-Eyed Monster

2010-01-24T14:25:00.004-05:00

WE TEND TO measure our happiness by looking at others around us.

In today's reading from the Coptic Lectionary (John 3), we find people trying pushing St. John the Baptist's buttons: "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!" (1).

But when you squeeze a Saint, virtue comes pouring out: "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven...the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease." (2)

What does Jealousy Do To Us?

St. Cyprian notes,

When jealousy darkens our perceptions...the fear of God is despised, the teaching of Christ is neglected, the day of judgment is not anticipated. Pride inflates, cruelty embitters, faithlessness prevaricates, impatience agitates, discord rages, anger grows hot; nor can he who has become the subject of a foreign [power] any longer restrain or govern himself. By this the bond of the Lord's peace is broken; by this is violated brotherly charity; by this truth is adulterated, unity is divided (3)

Jealousy, like a "foreign power," slips in behind me and puts a dark pair on sunglasses over the eyes of my mind. It darkens my perception, i.e., how I see the world and the people around me.

An Annoying Companion:

St. Cyprian adds that being a jealous person won't win you any new friends: "Whoever you are that are envious and malignant, observe how crafty, mischievous, and hateful you are to those whom you hate." (4)

And unless you are a believer "the evil eye," there's only one person you're hurting: "Yet you are the enemy of no one's well-being more than your own. Whoever he is whom you persecute with jealousy, can evade and escape you. You cannot escape yourself ."(5)

I think we can each acknowledge that our most jealous moments have coincided with our weakest, smallest and most infantile and petty moments.
_____
(1) v. 25
(2) vv. 27, 29, 30
(3) Treatise X On Envy and Jealousy, par. 6
(4) Ibid. par. 9
(5) Ibid.

Guest Post: Farrah's Trip to Egypt

2010-01-20T09:55:00.005-05:00

by Farrah Assad

A friend of mine, Farrah Assad, visited Egypt last summer to work with the children in the Zabaleen district. She was kind enough to prepare a report for us:

I visited Egypt over winter break carrying all the donations, including children’s clothing, computer equipment, game console and money. I met with two of the teachers serving at Dare Banet Mariam in the Zabaleen. I also saw Tasoni (sister) Takla, the principal of the school. We divided the clothing into several groups, boys and girls and the age groups. The next day I visited the school and brought along with me the donations from school and church. My family and I set up the computer, printer, projector and video camera in Tasoni’s office. We passed by each class handing out the clothing for the students. The donations that were made for this organization were not only enough for the class that I taught over the summer, but there was plenty for the entire school, about 210 children. All the students were so happy and grateful for the sweaters and socks. The teachers and Tasoni Takla was extremely delighted to see the joy in the eyes of the children. They expressed their gratitude towards all who contributed to this effort. They decided to use the monetary gift towards setting up a playroom, something they wished to have for a long time. I wanted to thank everyone so much for all the donations that were made and to let everyone know that the smallest donations have made a huge impact on these children’s lives. I have attached a few of the pictures of the children receiving the gifts, hope you enjoy them. Thanks so much again!!!

You're Too Old To Run...

2010-01-18T17:57:00.002-05:00

... but Joy Johnson is not:

Giving Facebook the Ax

2010-01-15T10:51:00.002-05:00

I vacillate.

Sometimes I get to a place where I wish to purge my life of Facebook and even text messaging. Sometimes it is triggered by a total inability to focus and accomplish anything; sometimes by the nausea created by all the noise in my mind; sometimes by the simple, primordial desire for simplicity; sometimes from regret over a curt, rude or misinterpreted text message; or sometimes by the sight of an older person staring at their phone with delight like it is a greater being than they are (You're old. You know everything. Why are you enamored by a toy? Go sit on a chair and smile, bemused at the young, impetuous kids).

Other times, I want to get in touch with someone(s) (and Facebook helps) or I want to send a message, but can't make a phone call at the moment (and so I send a text).

I've decided to try to use these things, while keeping the noise at bay.

Are The Gospels Reliable?

2010-01-13T18:37:00.003-05:00

Faith and Theology published a letter from George Hunsinger to a young inquirer on the reliability of the gospels. The letter is worth reading.

More Pain

2010-01-11T14:26:00.007-05:00

I WILL BE the first to admit that many of the Coptic protests in the West against persecution in Egypt have been gaudy and downright embarrassing. But no one - no one - can deny that there is a serious, serious issue in that country. For the first time, the situation is making me physically sick and psychologically depressed.

The latest episode occurred this past Christmas when six Coptic Christians were murdered by a Muslim gunman as they filed out of a midnight mass in the southern town of Nag Hamadi.

The situation has become so bad that even, in Europe, His Holiness Pope Benedict felt compelled to address the issue.

I genuinely believe that President Hosni Mobarek is personally saddened by these events, especially in view of his long-time friendship with His Holiness Pope Shenouda III. However, it remains to be seen how serious he is about a crackdown on the mess in Upper Egypt. Egyptian police say they have arrested three suspects. It is my view that what is done with these three men and about this attack will speak volumes about how serious Egypt is about being viewed as a just, respectable nation on the world stage. For a country held in high regard - at least relative to other Mideast nations - such a state of affairs is unacceptable.

The Wall Street Journal recently put this event in context of a wider global issue.

In contrast,The New York Times appears to minimize the issue, framing it as a simple case of a shooting that just happened to take place at a church. Really.

See also the report and perspective at Christnology.

As the Year Turns

2010-01-08T11:04:00.000-05:00

THIS IS THE FIRST NEW YEAR in which I make conscious decisions about the kind of person I would like, by God's grace, to become. Perhaps, making semi-new year's resolutions is a sign of the kind of conformity to social conventions that comes with age. Whatever the case, I am starting to find rebellion for its own sake annoying. Plus, certain political figures have made terms like "maverick" both hilarious and nauseating.

In 2010, I hope to

1. understand the Bible/Fathers more deeply;

2. run a sub-3:30 marathon;

3. close the gap between running and spirituality; and

4. deepen the many beautiful relationships with which I have been blessed.

On the running side, I feel like I peeled away one layer of slowness and weakness. I feel ready for a faster 2010. I surprised myself at the end of 2009. After choking on marathon day, I ran a good 10k and, 4 days later, an even better a 5-miler, which were good enough to entice me to do better in 2010. These races were like an enticing aroma, pulling me into 2010.

I learned what kind of miles I will need to do if I ever want to be a marathoner. I am not a marathoner yet; no way. Jogging 26.2 miles with a cheering section does not make one a marathoner; it makes him a clown with a moderate fitness level.

I feel like I have reached the fast end of slow and I am grateful for that.

I made some good friends.

I am firmly fixed in this thing called running, which helps me forget at times, the thing in life that kills me most, that I spend most of my hours working for money and not for something meaningful. But on many runs - while snot drips over my lips as I greet day laborers waiting and hoping to earn a buck - I have had time to think that maybe this elusive “meaningful work” is just an empty name for an illusory castle. I have learned on those runs to find meaning in the now, in the presence of God and man. Thanks guys.

Book Review - The Appeal

2010-01-05T10:22:00.001-05:00

WHEN A YOUNG WIDOW wins a multi-million dollar jury verdict, she is only halfway there. She and the small, strapped and stretched law firm representing her must also win the appeal against a corporation, its law firm, and a team of shadowy figures and forces working against them.

It is true that the emphasis of this book is not on character development, but the characters are certainly not (all) underdeveloped. The novel offers what may normally be expected from a successful work in this genre, a good plot. The work been criticized for not ending in a pow, but had it so ended, Grisham would then have been criticized for being predictable; a no-win situation for him in this respect.

Grisham shows that he indeed knows his stuff in terms of how the world works, especially in the realms of church (liberal and conservative), finance, and, of course, law. Writers will also pick up quite a bit about the mechanics of telling a story, including how to create and assemble multiple elements while pushing a plot along.

In the Bleak Midwinter

2009-12-28T16:56:00.003-05:00

It is cold and I am injured...and Christ is Born!

+ + +

In the Bleak Midwinter by Christina Rossetti

1. In the bleak mid-winter
Frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter
Long ago.

2. Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him
Nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When He comes to reign:
In the bleak mid-winter
A stable-place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty,
Jesus Christ.

3. Enough for Him, whom cherubim
Worship night and day,
A breastful of milk
And a mangerful of hay;
Enough for Him, whom angels
Fall down before,
The ox and ass and camel
Which adore.

4. Angels and archangels
May have gathered there,
Cherubim and seraphim
Thronged the air,
But only His mother
In her maiden bliss,
Worshipped the Beloved
With a kiss.

5. What can I give Him,
Poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb,
If I were a wise man
I would do my part,
Yet what I can I give Him,
Give my heart.

Tiger and Me

2009-12-18T10:53:00.005-05:00

OH, TIGER.

Apparently, he has holed himself up at home, won't speak to even his closest friends and spends his nights watching cartoons and eating cereal. People suspect that he is cracking up.

A friend asked, "Who's Tiger and why does his personal life merit our attention?"

He is a married guy who is but a few years ahead of me in age and marriage. He is suddenly in a nightmare he seems to have never (seriously)contemplated. It merits my attention. It merits my close attention.

"How so?" asked another.

Well, when I see a story like this, my first reaction is "poor guy." I'm sorry ladies, but I really feel bad for any guy whose lust and/or ego got the better of him. The thought of hurting someone like that scares the burritos out of me. Also, the shallow part of me is terrified of being exposed as a selfish, insatiable jerk.

We churchy types don't like talking about this stuff. And though I have the advantage of a supportive wife that I actually look forward to seeing every day, if we are going to talk about sin, let's talk about it as it really shows itself in our world.

Also, looking at what he is going through kind of takes the candy off sin's wrapper. The initial lustre/appeal is wiped right off. The guilt and other consequences clearly last much longer than the pleasure. Yet man after man does not seem to get this. I look at a guy like him and think carefully. I take it all in. I "experience it" for a few minutes so that I can then step out of it and say, "Phew, I was only pretending. What's for dinner?"

He seems regretful (and not just because he got caught) and he should. If I ever succumbed to that, I'd be a mess (and so would my face, according to reliable sources). Who needs that?

This all reminds me of what Ravi Zakarias once said regarding pleasure. The difference between legitimate and illigimate pleasure is this: you pay for legitimate pleasure beforehand and illegitimate pleasure afterwards.

The Charitable Heart

2009-12-04T18:39:00.005-05:00

IT IS GETTING COLD OUT, but the loving heart is never cold.

St. Isaac of Syria, writes,

What is a charitable heart? It is a heart which is burning with love for the whole of creation, for men, for the birds, for the beasts, for the demons -for all creatures. He who has such a heart cannot see or call to mind a creature without his eyes becoming full with tears by reason of the immense compassion which seizes his heart; a heart which is softened and can no longer bear to see or learn from others of any suffering, even the smallest pain, being inflicted upon a creature...moved by the infinite pity which reins in the hearts of those who are becoming united to God.*

___
*Lossky, Vladimir. Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church, p. 111

Athos: National Geographic Photo Series

2009-12-02T15:57:00.002-05:00

National Geographic has created a nice photo essay on the monks of Mount Athos.

(via Justin)

Everyone's a Critic

2009-12-01T11:55:00.009-05:00

WE ALL HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY.

In this past Sunday's gospel reading from the Coptic Lectionary, our Lord gave an illustration involving a man who began to build and those who were there to rip on him when he didn't continue(1).

So, what makes us such big critics anyway? Elder Ephraim of Philotheou writes that the main reason for criticism and slander is pride and egotism. We think we're better than others. So, he recommends that a person to think of himself as smaller than all. The idea is that when we see another person as better, we might, with the help of God, be delivered from the evil of being such a critic.(2)

Of course, sometimes a person will say or do something that makes one want to run his mouth right away. Elder Ephraim advises that, if something pushes you to criticism about some business or other of a brother, try to pray about it first before passing judgment(3).

This isn't easy, though. How do we train ourselves in this right attitude? The elder writes, "If you are enclosed within yourself through prayer, humility, and mourning, you will find a spiritual treasure; only let pride and criticism be far from you."(4)

Another thing to keep in mind is this: Who really is perfect? Which of us can boast that we have kept our heart undefiled? The elder notes, "We are all sick, but whoever criticizes his brother does not feel that he is sick; for a sick person does not criticize a sick person."(5)

A thing that strikes me, time and again, is that we can, in fact, grieve the heart of God: "God is grieved whenever we criticize and loathe people. Let us concern ourselves only with our own faults, for these let us feel pain; let us criticize ourselves and then we will find mercy and grace from God."(6)

And I have a lot to lose. In fact, "one who judges and scandalizes his neighbor must know that he will find no grace, and if he has any he will lose it, in order to learn the lesson of humility through misfortune"(7). God may have to let me fall smack on my face.

This is a better fate, though, than drinking that most bitter drink: The elder warns us to be more afraid of interior criticism, criticism in thought. He reasons that this kind of silent despising is not brought to light. No one can hear us trash talking and call us out on it. This inner criticism - this feeling that people are not even worth fighting with, that they are beneath me - it drowns me in the most bitter drink, the death of the soul.(8)

Thus, the elder pushes us to "[l]ove, endure, overlook, do not get angry, do not become irritated, forgive one another, in order that you resemble our Christ and are counted worthy to be near to Him in His kingdom."(9)

___________
(1)Luke 14:25-35, Third Sunday of Hator of the Nativity fast
(2)-(9)Counsels from the Holy Mountain: Selected from the Letters and Homilies of Elder Ephraim

Evil People

2009-11-25T09:34:00.003-05:00

As a follow-up to the previous post, I came across the following from The Gulag Archipelago by Alexander I. Solzhenitsyn:

If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?

Can a Bad Man Be a Good Philosopher?

2009-11-11T10:32:00.011-05:00

The New York Times recently published a piece on the upcoming publication of the English translation of Heidegger: The Introduction of Nazism Into Philosophy. In the book, the author argues fascist and racist ideas are so woven into the fabric of Heidegger’s theories that they no longer deserve to be called philosophy.

This raises a broader question: Does a Nazi deserve a place among Philosophers?

My initial reaction was "No. Not 'Philosophers' with a capital 'P,' at least."

The following passage from The Gospel According to St. Matthew came to mind: "You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. ...Therefore by their fruits you will know them."(1)

So, then, does this this mean a bad person cannot have a good idea?

Well, the point is that he may have a good thought here or there, just as a bad tennis player might make a good shot here or there. This does not make him a good tennis player. Heidigger was a Nazi and thus(3) a bad man and to me, a bad man cannot be a good philosopher. Or at least not a philosopher that I would read.

What do you think?
__________
(1) Ch. 7
(2) cf. Lewis, C.S. Mere Christianity. Bk. 3, Ch.2
(3)Jeff challenged me to consider whether we can so easily evaluate whether someone is a "good" or "evil" man in the first place. I imagine there are figures in history whom we can evaluate absolutely as essentially "good" or "evil" without falling into over-simplicity. Speaking of "essentially," that is really what I mean by good or bad. I think the question ultimately relates to the essence/substance/nature of the person. Can a person be evaluated as "good" or "evil" in their essence/substance/nature? I am not sure. I really consider the issue to be whether he deserves to be counted among The Philosophers. Maybe the initial debate is about what the criteria should be for those.

Meb Does Top Ten

2009-11-04T15:33:00.001-05:00

Wrong Turns and the Providence of God

2009-11-03T17:36:00.002-05:00

Father Stephen at Glory to God for All Things has written a helpful post on God and our wrong decisions. In part, he writes,

There is another understanding of Providence, more common in the Eastern Fathers, in which God’s work in our lives is seen as far more creative. There is not one route, but one destination. Thus if we make a wrong turn, God is quite capable of continuing to bring us to union with Him. The problem is not that of a route, but of our heart.

Meb Wins New York!

2009-11-01T18:31:00.003-05:00

AMERICAN MARATHONER Meb Keflezihi (center) capped an impressive comeback year by winning today's New York City Marathon. This makes him the first American to win the race since Alberto Salazar won in 1982.

What makes this win all the more special was a very disappointing 2008, which had many saying that the 2004 Olympic silver-medalist's best days were behind him.

I have been following Meb's career from about the time I started running and was excited (and, frankly a bit surprised) to find him among the leaders as the race reached its final stages.

American half marathon record holder Ryan Hall (right) - winner of the U.S. Olympic trials in 2008 - who many thought had a fighting chance of winning the race, finished fourth.

Meb came to the U.S. at the age of 10, fleeing with his parents from his native war-torn Eritrea(1)

Earlier this year, Meb wrote:

After a big struggle for the whole 2008 year, I committed to getting myself healthy. If I couldn't get healthy, I was ready to retire if it was God's will. I decided to go to Colorado Springs to get healthy. I spent two months there dedicating from 7am to 8 pm to rehabbing and getting stronger. As a professional runner, running is not the only part of the job. Getting healthy and maintaining your health is actually a full-time job that involves the right training, drills, nutrition, rest and education.

I would like to thank God for allowing me to see the bright moment after a dark 2008. I spent a lot time in physical therapy and doctors' offices. These are a runner's least favorite places, but I was able to make great progress and friends. Although there were many moments of frustration, I was okay with all of the rehabilitation because my faith and desire to be obedient on God's will. We all need to realize God loves us 24/7, not only when we are in the best of circumstances. God has been there to support me through the bad times and the good times. God cared for me and did not give up on me, unlike other people... but we'll leave it at that(2).

______________________
(1) Cazeneuve, Brian "Out Of Africa: Meb Keflezighi, formerly of Eritrea, heads into the U.S. nationals as America's best at 10,000 meters."
(2) www.runmeb.com

Book Review: Everyday Greatness

2009-10-30T11:02:00.005-04:00

Everyday Greatness
Stephen R. Covey
464 pages
Thomas Nelson

This bulk of this book's text is a compilation of inspiring short stories culled from back issues of Reader's Digest. The readings, however, are not simply lumped together. Rather, they are organized in a nice way according to topic and subtopic. The stories are introduced and analyzed with commentary by Stephen R. Covey the author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Covey's thinking, as expressed in that book, is carried over consistently into Everyday Greatness. For each sub-topic, a collection of related quotations follows the commentary. The topics and subtopics are as follows:

Searching for Meaning: Contribution; Charity; Attention
Taking Charge: Responsibility; Courage; Discipline
Starting Within: Integrity; Humility; Gratitude
Creating the Dream: Vision; Innovation; Quality
Teaming with Others: Respect; Empathy; Unity
Overcoming Adversity: Adaptability; Magnanimity; Perseverance
Blending the Pieces: Balance; Simplicity; Renewal

Two final points: For those looking for a book written by Covey, this may not satisfy, since, as noted the bulk of the text is not by Covey. As a related point, if you really enjoy Reader's Digest, you will love the selection of works here. If that publication is not your cup of soup, you may find that the book drags a bit. This being said, the book is so well organized that it is worth reading simply for the presentation of concepts and the supporting quotations.

Looking at the Big Picture

2009-10-27T23:44:00.001-04:00

SO WHAT HAVE I DONE with 'my' life, anyway?

My friend Mikey G. posted some interesting comments recently at the hobbyjogger chronicles. His post reminded me to look at the big picture and, at least for one day, stave off the mid-life crisis.

I think it's important for 30- and 40-something men to be able to take stock and catalogue the things they have been blessed to accomplish. It is easy for me to look at one or two areas in which others have far outstripped me and not realize that, as a whole, my life is very full.

Others are full professors. I only teach a few classes here and there.

Others my age are priests. I'm a mediocre church worker, at best.

Some Kenyans can run a marathon in less than 2:10. It took me over four hours to finish my first.

My wife is cool (Somehow that is part of the point).

Others have published actual books and hold several advanced academic degrees. I have a blog and it is completely unfocused.

I may look at the sub-2:10 marathoner, the priest or the Harvard Law professor, for example, and feel self-pity, as though the "other things" got in the way. It is a far wiser thing to look at the totality of one's life and relationships and feel fulfillment and gratitude.

Egyptian Father Jailed After Attempting to Rescue Daughter from Kidnappers

2009-10-26T10:00:00.005-04:00

NO ONE WANTS downer news on a Monday.

However, sources report that when Myrna Gamal Hanna was kidnapped and forced to marry Mohamad Osama Hefnawy, the now-20-year-old woman was 19 and under the age of marital consent. Sadly, it appears that her father was jailed after attempting to rescue her.

We look forward with hope to a better Egypt where such injustices are not countenanced.

Tempo Run as an Art

2009-10-23T13:25:00.004-04:00

My friend Jeff at The Logic of Long Distance has posted a nice commentary on the art of the tempo run.

Jeff has given me copious amounts of great advice and this post reflects his skill and intuition.

No Formula

2009-10-12T10:07:00.003-04:00

You came to see a race today. To see someone win. It happened to be me. But I want you to do more than just watch a race. I want you to take part in it. I want to compare faith to running in a race. It's hard. It requires concentration of will, energy of soul. You experience elation when the winner breaks the tape - especially if you've got a bet on it. But how long does that last? You go home. Maybe you're dinner's burnt. Maybe you haven't got a job. So who am I to say, 'Believe, have faith,' in the face of life's realities? I would like to give you something more permanent, but I can only point the way. I have no formula for winning the race. Everyone runs in her own way, or his own way. And where does the power come from, to see the race to its end? From within. Jesus said, "Behold, the Kingdom of God is within you." If with all your hearts, you truly seek me, you shall ever surely find me.' If you commit yourself to the love of Christ, then that is how you run a straight race.

-Eric Liddel, Chariots of Fire

Congrats to my friend Paul Kist, who completed his first half marathon yesterday.

Things You Would Not Say

2009-09-30T09:00:00.004-04:00

I HATE YOU.

That was easy.

Of course, had you and I been sitting across a table from one another I probably would not have even planned to say that.

But now that I have this thing called a computer, words can flow like M&Ms from a bag or Eminem from a radio.

The New York Times published a piece a few months ago on one parent's effort to curb text messaging. In part, she wrote,

As it turned out, it was what other people were saying to her that began to concern me more. That’s when I learned about the mean-girl texts, the ones no one would have the nerve to say to a person’s face but are easy to send from one nonconfrontational phone to another. “We all hate you,” I saw on the tiny black screen one night when I picked her up from religion class. First it tore my heart out. Then I got annoyed. Why was she texting during religion class?

On this topic, Abba Arsenius, notes, "I have often regretted the words I have spoken, but I have never regretted my silence."

The next time you're thinking about firing off an email/text/tweet/IM/facebook status update, take moment, offer your heart (and its contents) to God, and ask, "Do I mean this enough to say it?"

Race Report - Hamptons Marathon

2009-09-27T15:07:00.007-04:00

For those who may be interested, below is a report of my first marathon.

Last night, on the way to the place I was staying for the weekend, stuck in traffic, I received a call from my father:

Me: Hello
Dad: Hi, Nader. Where are you going?
Me: Long Island.
Dad: Why?
Me: A race.
Dad: Oh, oh. How long?
Me: It’s a marathon.
Dad: Yes, yes, I know. But how long? 4 miles? 6 miles?
Me: 26
Dad: What-what-what? Ohmygoodness. Nader, listen. If you feel tired, don’t be afraid to stop. Don’t be a hero! You remember what happened in high school, when they had to call the ambulance?
Me: Yes, dad. Thanks.
Dad: Ok, here’s your mother…

I woke up this morning freezing, and checked the weather, only to find out that it was 44 degrees. I looked at the super-thin sleeveless shirt I had laid out. Fabulous.

I started out the race feeling a little tight and sluggish, having consumed a bagel and coffee less than an hour before the start (a logistical mistake, but - long story short - I felt I had to choose between that and not eating breakfast at all. In retrospect, a banana might have been a better option at that point). Having not run for the previous three days, running at that point felt like a new thing I was deciding whether I liked. It felt like having dinner with a friend I hadn't talked to for some time.

The first few miles were a bit awkward. Getting and staying under 9:09 at that stage was tougher than I thought, especially because of the fear of the unknown (i.e. not knowing how much I needed to save for post mile 20) I was experiencing.

3 miles: 28:10

As I got into the meat of the race, I started to feel better and stronger. I stopped at every single aid station and this coupled with the two bathroom breaks, I think contributed to late-race tightening of my quads (something I cannot remember ever experiencing during training).

10K time: 58:56

At the half point, I looked at my watch 2:02.02! Dang.

At that point I started pushing myself, realizing that in all my previous races (and I think also this one, to an extent) my downfall was saving too much for the end. I said to myself, "Not this time. You can rest after the race. Leave nothing here."

From that point on, I decided I was going to do everything I could to keep myself under 9:00, but over 8:40.

At mile 20 I didn’t feel winded at all, but my quads were becoming increasingly tight.

At mile 22, it was all heart. "No wheels are coming off nothing. Go."

It was heart that helped me disregard the pain from pounding ("push the pain to the sides of your mind" -Mikey) and giving up and walking. It was the tightening of my legs, especially the quads that kept me, despite my best efforts, from getting under 9:15. I am only now realizing that, after mile 20, holding such a pace was totally out of the question.

Overall, I'd say the course was much hillier than I anticipated.

Final time: 4:05:06

Place: 113/294 overall; 10/20 age group; 69/157 gender

Do What You've Got To Do

2009-09-24T17:00:00.005-04:00

THREE DAYS OUT from the race and I forget to take my work shoes to the gym. At this point, I had to go to Kohl's (the only place open at 8:30 a.m.) and get a new pair. Not surprisingly, these shoes are thoroughly messed up and my feet are sloshing and slamming all over in there.

Result: Tendonitis in my right leg. I think it will go away by game day, but I am taking no chances. I did what I could with what I could find around the office:

Weird Things I've Seen on the Road (Vol. 1)

2009-09-19T19:40:00.004-04:00

Too Uptight for Your Own Good?

2009-09-10T10:58:00.007-04:00

WHEN I WAS A YOUNGER ZEALOT, I remember asking a simple, pragmatic priest for advice before going on vacation with my family. I was concerned about the "sites" I was bound see

Yes, these are the things I used to worry about. I miss that kid.

I remember that he didn't laugh at me, but sort of just said without too much reflection that I should be simple and that if I saw "something," to treat what I saw as nothing. In other words, I was better off being normal, making nothing of it, not thinking about it too much, and moving on.

I thought about this conversation as I read the following passage from The Man Who Was Thursday: A Nightmare, by G.K. Chesterton:

Syme, indeed, was one of those men who are open to all the more nameless psychological influences in a degree a little dangerous to mental health. Utterly devoid of fear in physical dangers, he was a great deal too sensitive to the smell of spiritual evil. Twice already that night little unmeaning things had peeped out at him almost pruriently, and given him a sense of drawing nearer and nearer to the head-quarters of hell.

He is considered "a great deal too sensitive" to the point that things that would otherwise go unnoticed ended up peeping out at him "almost pruriently" (i.e., in a sexual way).

I think part of being spiritually alert is being careful to avoid unhealthy obsessions and fears. Obsession can give temptation more life and power.

Holiness Packs the Punch

2009-08-26T14:19:00.013-04:00

NOW, MORE THAN EVER, the world is full of words.

I am one of those who loves words and sentences and paragraphs and...But, in an era where information is everywhere taxing our attention, we're reminded that people will always trust the words of those who have the courage to stare down temptation and overcome it through God's grace.

Of St. John Chrysostom, it was noted:

[He]preached Sunday after Sunday and during Lent, sometimes twice or oftener during the week, even five days in succession, on the duties and responsibilities of Christians, and fearlessly attacked the immorality of the city...He exemplified his preaching by a blameless life, and soon acquired great reputation and won the love of the whole congregation. Whenever he preached the church was crowded. He had to warn his hearers against pickpockets, who found an inviting harvest in these dense audiences(1).

As my friend Andrew Mitry reminded me recently, "[T]he kingdom of God is not in word but in power."(2)

If I can't be holy for myself, I should at least be holy for those who expect it from me.
____________________
(1)Nicene and Post Nicene Fathers, Volume 9, p. 11
(2)1 Corinthians 4:20

The Glorious Feast of the Transfiguration

2009-08-19T10:44:00.004-04:00

TODAY, Coptic Orthodox Christians celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord. The Milk and Honey blog has posted a nice article by the late Rev. Fr. Alexander Schmemann.

Thanks to Andrew Mitry for sending the article.

Respecting the Heat

2009-08-11T12:03:00.003-04:00

ON MY WEDDING DAY, Steve "I-Rod" Ibrahim gave the best man speech. One of the things he pointed out is my total insensibility to weather conditions. I rarely notice when the weather is "nice" or "bad."

But today, I had no choice but to respect an important weather variable: humidity. My steps felt slow and labored. I was probably about 30 seconds per mile slower than I would have been at that effort level.

As others consider running during the summer months, have a look at a helpful article by running coach Hal Higdon, entitled, "Hot and Bothered: Coping with Heat and Humidity."

Would the Fathers Understand Our Times?

2009-08-07T10:00:00.003-04:00

"And the streets don't change, but maybe the names."
-Guns N' Roses, Patience

PEOPLE HAVE NOT CHANGED much. We were unkind to one another in the third century, we are unkind today. We ignored the needy then, we ignore them now, too. We chased every selfish desire then and we run headlong after them today.

Consider, for example, the assessment made by secular English historian Edward Gibbon in his classic The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, of the time and place in which St. John Chrysostom served:

The warmth of the climate disposed the natives to the most intemperate enjoyment of tranquility and opulence, and the lively licentiousness of the Greeks was blended with the hereditary softness of the Syrians. Fashion was the only law, pleasure the only pursuit, and the splendor of dress and furniture was the only distinction of the citizens of Antioch. The arts of luxury were honored, the serious and manly virtues were the subject of ridicule, and the contempt for female modesty and reverent age announced the universal corruption of the capital of the East.*

The streets we travel down don't change much, just the names we give them. A person can ignore the Fathers and/or disagree with them, but to dismiss their wisdom as inapplicable is to ignore common threads in human nature and history.

________
Gibbon, Edward. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, ch. 24 (quoted by Schaff, Philip, in Prologomena to the Works of St. John Chrysostom)

Ground Breaking on Site of Littlest Lamb Orphanage!

2009-08-04T16:57:00.006-04:00

I AM EXITED TO REPORT the recent ground-breaking ceremony for the Littlest Lamb Orphanage at Ahmed Oraby, Egypt!

His Holiness Pope Shenouda came to bless the land and lay the first bricks (beneath which he buried a cross, a coin, and a mini lamb).

Please take this opportunity to share in this event with any love offering you feel is appropriate. Imagine that one day there will be an orphanage, a safe haven for Egypt's street children, on this site and that you were a part of making it happen!

Book Review: The Copts and the West, 1439-1822*

2009-08-03T10:06:00.006-04:00

Author: Alistair Hamilton
Publisher: Oxford University Press (2006)
360 pages

PROFESSOR ALISTAIR HAMILTON has succeeding in producing a work that is both a readable narrative and a monumental work of historical scholarship. For this reason, the book will be of value not only to scholars of church history, but to non-scholars, such as everyday workers in the ecumenical movement as well as to Copts seeking a deeper understanding of their heritage. The work uncovers the timeless issues facing Coptic participation in the ecumenical movement. At base, Professor Hamilton has shown that, far from being considered serious parties to the ecumenical table, the Copts have largely functioned as a kind of battleground between Protestants and Rome.

The work comprises four parts. The first part is a survey of Coptic Church history from late antiquity to the Islamic Period. Here, the author highlights some of the important intellectual achievements of Copts under Arab domination and emphasizes the importance of these achievements for western students of the Eastern Churches. This section also includes an intriguing discussion of the tension between the Coptic upper class and the Coptic priesthood, a tension whose intensity has waxed and waned up to the present time.

Part Two focuses primarily on the Roman Catholic missions to Egypt during the period. This part highlights the Roman Church’s efforts to exploit the sacramental commonalities between the two communities in order to strengthen ecumenical bond. In this part, the author suggests that loyalty to Dioscorus and anti-Calcedonianism was so deeply-embedded in Coptic consciousness, that these sentiments, in combination with Rome’s insistence on Alexandria’s total submission, were sufficient to frustrate union with Rome. Importantly, the author also highlights the linguistic shortcomings of the Jesuit missionaries - who apparently couldn’t speak Arabic at all – and shows that the failure of ecumenical dialogue between Alexandria and Rome in that period probably was doomed from its inception, not because of a substantial disagreement about dogma, but because of the sheer failure to communicate.

While the authored touches on the tension between the Pope’s emphasis on submission to Rome and Coptic patriarch’s hesitation to sign on to this, his study of the interactions among all the players in between was far more interesting. Hamilton analyzes the relationship between emissaries from Rome - with their primary preoccupation with Egyptian submission to Rome and secondary concern for theological agreement - and the Coptic monks, some of whom, it must be admitted, may not have adequately distinguished the Chalcedonian position from Nestorianism. From the time of Anthony’s influence on Athanasius to the present day, monks have held a strong influence on Coptic patriarchs. Hamilton skillfully demonstrates how this strong influence, coupled with the monks’ often extreme theological positions, make for a complex dynamic. Finally, this part also includes intriguing vignettes on bright and colorful personalities, such as, for example, Raphael Tuki.

Part Three follows with a study of the efforts of Roman Catholics and Protestants to understand the Copts. Additionally, Hamilton lays out a very helpful background regarding how the two occidental bodies rivaled one another for influence over the Copts. He explains the dynamic between them, separate and apart from his discussion of their respective relationships with the Copts. This provides an excellent context for understanding their interactions and motivations with respect to the Copts. The author shows how the respective agendas of these two groups colored their differing conclusions regarding the Egyptian Christians. He also shows that, while Roman Catholics emphasized the Coptic recognition of the sacraments, the Protestants were more interested in the Copts as a significant body of Christians not in submission to Rome. As with Part Two, this part’s narrative feel is enhanced by biographical close-ups of intriguing figures, such as Johann Michael Wansleben, author of the important Histoire de l'Église d'Alexandrie.

Part Four is, for the most part, a highly technical study of the efforts of Western scholars to identify and understand the three major Coptic dialects. It begins, however, with an excellent, in-depth analysis of the work and methodology of Athanasius Kircher, generally considered the greatest Coptic scholar of the seventeenth century. The author’s meticulous analysis, however, utterly demystifies Kircher. Hamilton notes his “notorious carelessness” and “lofty indifference” to criticism and to his own mistakes. Generally, this section will be of primary interest to Coptolgists and linguists, and the general reader may, frankly, skip to Hamilton’s helpful epilogue.

In the end, the book is highly unique as a study of the Copts, being as it is, primarily a study of western missionary efforts to Egypt, and, secondarily, a study of the Copts themselves. Those looking for a more direct study of the Copts during this period will, of necessity, need to look further. A Copt reading this frank history of western perceptions and misperceptions about the Copts may become, as the present reviewer did, increasingly annoyed. At first one finds himself amused, but, as a pattern emerges, the amusement fades, giving way to unrelieved exasperation and dismay as he realizes that arrogance and ignorance have consistently characterized western approaches to the Egyptian Church. Copts seeking to learn more about this period of their history will appreciate Hamilton’s study because it manages to be extremely understanding of the Coptic position vis-à-vis the West without slipping into over-indulgent, politically-correct fawning.
_________
*This review originally appeared in the April 2009 issue of the journal Touchstone and is republished hereon with permission.

Do You Text and Drive?

2009-07-28T10:13:00.008-04:00

THIS IS NOT EXACTLY ABOUT sneakers or books, but I think it's important.

Wait, here is a shot of my sneaker driving:

O.k. now that that's settled...

A new study found that when the drivers texted, their collision risk was 23 times greater than when not texting.

So, while it may have been obvious to you that texting while driving is dangerous, this study shows how high the risk is. Think of it this way, if Shaquille O'Neal were 23 times taller than he is now, he would be three inches taller than the El Salto de Eyipantla waterfall:

That's high! Don't text and drive!

Sound Like Your Calling?

2009-07-25T10:00:00.000-04:00

Here is Philip Schaff's summary of St. John Chrysostom's account of his life in the monastery:

The monks lived in separate cells or huts, but according to a common rule and under the authority of an abbot. They wore coarse garments of camel’s hair or goat’s hair over their linen tunics. They rose before sunrise, and began the day by singing a hymn of praise and common prayer under the leadership of the abbot. Then they went to their allotted task, some to read, others to write, others to manual labor for the support of the poor. Four hours in each day were devoted to prayer and singing. Their only food was bread and water, except in case of sickness. They slept on straw couches, free from care and anxiety. There was no need of bolts and bars. They held all things in common, and the words of “mine and thine,” which cause innumerable strifes in the world, were unknown among the brethren. If one died, he caused no lamentation, but thanksgiving, and was carried to the grave amidst hymns of praise; for he was not dead, but “perfected,” and permitted to behold the face of Christ. For them to live was Christ, and to die was gain.*

You can imagine what an impact the six years (374-381) St. John spent in this community had on his later service.

Could this - or a variation of it - be your calling?
______________
*Schaff, Philip, Prologomena to the Works of St. John Chrysostom, CHAPTER IV: Chrysostom as a Monk, Nicene and Post Nicene Fathers, Vol. 9, p. 9.

Things That Don't Happen to Me

2009-07-24T15:41:00.001-04:00

Photo Credit: (JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images)

Preventing Running Injuries

2009-07-23T14:45:00.001-04:00

As the nice weather breaks, runners will want to hit the streets.

Great.

Here are some tips for avoiding overuse injuries:

1. Get in the frame of mind where you want to improve your physical limitations without exceeding them.

2. Observe proper running form (more on this, hopefully, in a future post).

3. Get the right shoes with the right amount of cushioning and support.

4. Avoid running on tough surfaces. Concrete is tough and so are cambered (slanted) roads. Dirt paths are softest, but watch out for rocks and other little devils.

5. Slow down. This is not as easy as you may think, especially if you are running with music. The faster you run the harder and more frequently you hit the ground.

6. Increase gradually. Try not to up your miles more than 10% per week. Also, try not to increase your intensity to much from one week to the next.
__________________
Reference: Overuse Injury Is Preventable

Sources of Orthodox Tradition

2009-07-22T10:36:00.002-04:00

Fr. James Coles has started a really nice series of posts on the sources of the Orthodox Christian Tradition. Really, really worth following, if you ask me.

Former Olympic Marathon Runner Retires at Age 81

2009-07-20T10:38:00.004-04:00

KEIZO YAMADA, who competed in the 1952 Olympics and won the Boston Marathon has decided to "scale back" a bit: he will continue with his daily 20km jogs but will no longer compete at 26.2.

I guess running might not be so bad for the knees, after all.

Source: The BBC, via The Cassidy Feed.

You Can't Please Everyone

2009-07-16T22:00:00.002-04:00

IF YOU TRY TOO HARD to make everyone like you, eventually, there won't be any more of "you" left.

As a young man, St. John Chrysostom left the practice of law to focus on the acetic life.

Following the wishes of his mother - a widow - though,

[h]e remained at home, but turned his home into a monastery. He secluded himself from the world and practiced a rigid asceticism. He ate little and seldom, and only the plainest food, slept on the bare floor and frequently rose to prayer. He kept almost unbroken silence to prevent a relapse into the habit of slander.(1)

Some people found this annoying: "His former associates at the bar called him unsociable and morose."(2)

But others were inspired:

But two of his fellow-pupils under Libanius joined him in his ascetic life, Maximus (afterwards bishop of Seleucia), and Theodore of Mopsuestia. They studied the Scriptures under the direction of Diodorus (afterwards bishop of Tarsus), the founder of the Antiochian school of theology, of which Chrysostom and Theodore became the chief ornaments.(3)

Imagine if he had said to himself, "Gee, I'm really offending people with all this zeal. No need to 'overdo it.' I better cool off and 'act normal.'" If he did, the world would never have had St. John "the Golden Mouth."

I think the take-away here is that we should each follow Christ with all that is in us, with all that we are, without looking around for others' approval. St. Paul put it best: "[L]et us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith."(4)

You can't please everyone. Learn it sooner rather than later.
___
(1)Schaff, Philip, Prologomena to the Works of St. John Chrysostom, CHAPTER III: His Conversion and Ascetic Life, Nicene and Post Nicene Fathers (Vol. 9)
(2)Ibid.
(3)Ibid.
(4)Epistle to the Hebrews (12:1,2)

Violence and Rape: Egyptian Street Children

2009-07-14T09:59:00.005-04:00

ACCORDING TO UNICEF, an arm of the United Nations, Egyptian street children indicate that violence is a major issue in their life. UNICEF reports,

These children lead an unhealthy and often dangerous life that leaves them deprived of their basic needs for protection, guidance, and supervision and exposes them to different forms of exploitation and abuse. For many, survival on the street means begging and sexual exploitation by adults.

World Health Organization studies show that street children suffer from health problems ranging from cholera to tuberculosis and anemia, and that they are exposed to a variety of toxic substances, both in their food and in the environment around them.

Yesterday I was complaining because the water filter at my office was not to my liking.

In a survey in 2000, 86% of street children identified violence as a major problem in their life. In another survey, 50% stated that they had been exposed in some manner to rape.

Will you consider helping my friends build a wall around them?
_____
Source: Street children: Issues and Impact

Can the Children in Your Life Find Their Parents?

2009-07-10T10:54:00.011-04:00

These children cannot.

* * *
DEAR FRIENDS,

In order to support a project very near to my heart, The Littlest Lamb Orphanage, I plan to attempt the Hamptons Marathon in September.

You may recall that Peter "Mason" Tadros ran a marathon to raise money for the orphans last year.

Some clarification is in order.

Mason or "Mase," as they like to call him, is what you might refer to as an "athlete." I am what you might refer to as a short, insecure middle-eastern man with love handles that just won't quit. Mase completed the marathon in an astounding 3 hours and 6 minutes, finishing in the top 15. Afterwards, he thought it would be a fun idea to drive to Staten Island and participate in a basketball game. If I break my goal of under four hours, I will celebrate with an ice bath and a nice cup of herbal tea. This is going to hurt. It is already hurting. Soothe my pain. Be nice. Give us some your money. Thank you.

Here's how you can share your blessings with our precious children of Egypt. You may choose one or more of the following donation options:

1. per mile (it is a 26.2 mile race);

2. a lump sum based on whether I hit my goal of under four hours; or

3. a lump sum based on whether I even finish at all.

Please go here to share any bit you can.

I have no doubt that there are many demands on your finances these days, but may I humbly suggest that these are the times when our generosity and trust in God are the most beautiful?

Thank you very much and may God bless you and the children in your life.

With love,

Nader

The Straight and Narrow and the Codex Sinaiticus

2009-07-09T13:09:00.002-04:00

Jake at Diary of a Defeated Man has posted a helpful note on setting personal boundaries.

Jeremy at Christnology reports on the on the digitization of one of the world's oldest known Bibles.

The Jesus Prayer: What is it?

2009-07-06T10:27:00.004-04:00

Fr. James Coles has published the first in a series of posts on the Jesus Prayer. I haven't completed my research, but I believe he is also the only known Orthodox priest to skateboard with his son for 37 straight days and counting.

Personal note on Jesus Prayer: Long car rides are great opportunities to practice this prayer. But if the person in the passengers seat wakes up from while you're praying, it can be quite startling (for both of you).

U.S. Government Commission Taking Note of Coptic Situation

2009-07-02T15:08:00.005-04:00

On June 26, 2009, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom ("the Commission") issued a report in which it expressed concern over growing, unchecked violence against Copts in Egypt.

Felice D. Gaer, chair of the Commission, stated, regarding the recent events in the Beni Suef region,

This latest incident is another example of the upsurge of violence against Coptic Christians we have seen in the past few years. The Commission has long expressed concern that the Egyptian government does not do enough to protect Christians and their property in Egypt, nor does the government adequately bring perpetrators of such violence to justice.

On July 1, the Commission issued an update, stating,

With every violent attack on Copts, the same scenario of events takes place. The State Security forces the Coptic victims to an unofficial 'reconciliation meeting', in which they are forced to give up their rights, and the perpetrators go unpunished. Such a 'reconciliation meeting' for the villagers of Ezbet Boushra-East is scheduled for 6/30/09; the outcome of this meeting is already known by the Copts.

Many thanks to Mr. Victor Beshir for directing me to the June 26 report.

You may read the June 26 report here.

Running to Josh's Tunes

2009-06-30T10:24:00.007-04:00

JOSH COX is the American record holder for the 50K. Runner's World recently published articles featuring his playlists for relaxed runs (which includes music that reminds him of his spirituality and his dad) and for harder workouts.

You have to have to hand it to a man who can appreciate both "King of Glory" by Third Day and "You & Me" by Dave Matthews.

How Do You Say No?

2009-06-30T09:00:00.002-04:00

Immediately after baptism, St. John Chrysostom's first inclination was to adopt the monastic life.

But his mom stopped him.

He recounts the story in which she took him to the bed where she had given birth to him and begged him with tears not to forsake her. In substance, she said:

My son, my only comfort in the midst of the miseries of this earthly life is to see you constantly, and to behold in your features the faithful image of my beloved husband who is no more. This comfort began with your infancy before you could speak. I ask only one favor from you: do not make me a widow a second time; wait at least till I die; perhaps I shall soon leave this world. When you have buried me and joined my ashes with those of your father, nothing will then prevent you from retiring into monastic life. But as long as I breathe, support me by your presence, and do not draw down upon you the wrath of God by bringing such evils upon me who have given you no offense.*

He relented. Can you blame him?
_____
*Schaff, Philip, Prologomena to the Works of St. John Chrysostom, CHAPTER III: His Conversion and Ascetic Life, Nicene and Post Nicene Fathers (Vol. 9)

Advice for Beginning Runners

2009-06-29T10:00:00.002-04:00

A friend asked me this morning about getting into running. As the weather is warming up, I thought it would be a good time to repost some things I have learned so far.

Book Review: Not The Religious Type (Confessions of a Turncoat Atheist)

2009-06-27T16:01:00.013-04:00

IT IS PROBABLY TOO MUCH to say that I like Dave Schmelzer, based simply on having read his short memoir, Not the Religious Type: Confessions of a Turncoat Atheist. I don't think it's too ambitious, though, to at least say this: I'd be surprised if I met him and didn't like him.

Here is a book that is part memoir, part apologetic, and which never seems to over-do either. In this quick and pleasant read, Schmelzer shares his spiritual journey and presents life with God as a kind of adventure.

He makes the case that truth is relational rather than simply abstract or propositional (Personally, I think it is both). He explains why we are better off entering into a relationship with God and others as part of a Christ-centered life journey (rather than a group/my team/us-and-them existence).

He also makes the bald statement "God is good. Religion is bad." At first I found it, I suppose, kind of annoying. The more I thought about it though, I saw his point. It is a view shared by prominent Orthodox Christian thinkers such as the (late) Rev. Fr. Alexander Schmemman (For the Life of the World: Sacraments and Orthodoxy*) and the Rev. Fr. Thomas Hopko (in many of his lectures). I agree that although Christianity may be characterized as a 'religion' in certain contexts and discussions, it is above all a "Way." (Acts 18:26; 24:22).

Eastern Christians will appreciate this book in that it reminds us to keep union with God in Christ as our paramount aim in life. It also holds a unique value to those who serve in "ethnic" churches. While cognizant of the need to serve the needs of those coming from a particular cultural milieu, we are warned not to be snagged by cultural trappings.

And he is a good writer. Having earned his undergrad degree in English from Stanford, Dave has a way with (few) words. He is mercifully stingy with his words and generous with his ideas. He has masterfully combined the fields of memoir and apologetics (he makes some powerful, succinct observations on the 'new atheist' movement).

While I think he and I would probably disagree on some points of theology and ecclesiology, I liked the book overall. I heartily recommend this work for pastors, college-student ministers, and as a gift for the skeptic in the cubicle next door.
__________
*Schmemman writes, "Christianity, with its message offering fullness of life, has contributed more than anything else to the liberation of man from the fears and pessimism of religion...

"Christianity quarrels with religion and secularism not because they offer 'insufficient help,' but precisely because they 'suffice,' because they 'satisfy' the needs of men. If the purpose of Christianity were to take away from man the fear of death, to reconcile him with death, there would be no need for Christianity, for other religions have done this, indeed, better than Christianity. And secularism is about the produce men who will gladly and corporately die-and not just live-for the triumph of the cause, whatever it may be...

"Christianity is not a reconciliation with death. It is the revelation of death, and it reveals death because it is the revelation of Life. Christ is this Life. And only if Christ is Life is death what Christianity proclaims it to be, namely the enemy to be destroyed, not a mystery to be explained." (pp.98, 99)